The Warriors have been rumored to show significant interest in trading for Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen, but team owner Joe Lacob expressed to Tim Kawakami of The Athletic that parting with either Jonathan Kuminga or Brandin Podziemski would be challenging. Lacob emphasized that both players are viewed as future cornerstones for the franchise.
“We’re extremely high on Podziemski,” Lacob said. “By the way, so are a lot of other teams that are interested. We get a lot of calls on both him and JK. We do on Moses (Moody), as well, by the way. … I do believe that if you talk about Podz in particular, I said it at the Summer League, I think he has the potential to be an All-Star in this league. And I absolutely believe it. And so does everyone in our organization. I think that JK is in the same boat. He has the potential to be an All-Star in this league. The potential.”
Podziemski showcased his readiness for a rotation role in his first season, averaging 9.2 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 3.7 assists over 74 games, finishing fifth in Rookie of the Year voting. Kuminga, who is eligible for an extension this summer, has shown significant development, achieving career highs in nearly every category last season.
A recent report indicated that Golden State has not included Podziemski or Kuminga in its offer for Markkanen, instead centering the trade package around Moody, other contracts, and draft assets. This has not been enough to convince Utah, which may not feel pressured to trade Markkanen before he becomes eligible to renegotiate and extend his contract on August 6.
“I’m not going to get into specifics like that, there’s no way,” Lacob replied when asked if he would be willing to trade Podziemski. “But I don’t want to give him up, or JK. We love these guys. And Moses, Trayce (Jackson-Davis). These are good young players.”
Regarding a possible extension for Stephen Curry, who is eligible for a one-year, $62.6 million extension this summer that would extend his contract through the 2026-27 season, Lacob stated:
“We have not discussed it. He’s busy right now and he should stay busy and focused on that with the Olympics. But if he wants to talk about that, that’s up to him. He’s not said that at all, but if he wants to, we’ll certainly entertain that discussion. … Let’s put it this way, Steph Curry—I fully anticipate he’ll be a Warrior for life. I thought Klay (Thompson) was going to be, too, but I was wrong.”
When addressing Curry’s recent comments about not wanting to stay with the Warriors if they were to become a “bottom feeder,” Lacob remained optimistic about Curry’s long-term commitment.
Regarding the departure of Klay Thompson, who had been an integral part of the franchise since being drafted in 2011, Lacob shared:
“To be frank and honest, Klay made the decision prior to the beginning of free agency and he informed us of it that his intention was to not come back. … He called me and said the same things you heard (at Klay’s Dallas news conference). Klay is an open book. He felt he needed, for a variety of reasons, to have a fresh start. I would have loved if Klay had been a Warrior for life. And under a fair and equitable basis, we wanted to try to achieve that very badly. We did achieve it with Draymond (Green) last summer, a different situation. Steph’s under contract. So we felt we were on a path to do that. It just didn’t work out. … And we had to move on and accept that.”
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