The Golden State Warriors’ recent 91-90 loss to the Houston Rockets in the NBA Cup Quarter-Final Wednesday night dropped the team’s record to 14-10.
Golden State has walked away the loser in seven of their last nine contests, falling from grace after a wonderful 12-3 record to begin the season.
After the loss and in the wake of Stephen Curry’s subpar 19-point performance, it was clear to see that Golden State could have benefited from more reserve guard production.
The Warriors’ First-Team All-Rookie guard from a season ago Brandin Podziemski contributed just 8 points while connecting on 33.3% of his attempts from the floor, clearly not offering plenty of support for Curry.
Podziemski’s offensive struggles have been a storyline throughout the season, as his 7.9 points on 38.0% shooting from the field marks a major regression from his first season.
To remedy this situation, the Warriors’ general manager Mike Dunleavy could very well be tempted to contact the Washington Wizards to inquire about a proven veteran guard that could be available for trade.
Washington’s 32-year-old Malcolm Brogdon looks to be a perfect candidate to be traded once again in his nine-year career prior to the deadline this season, and Golden State could be a perfect fit.
The 2017 Rookie of the Year and 2023 Sixth Man of the Year winner is currently boasting averages of 13.8 points and 4.3 rebounds with a 49.5% field goal percentage for the lowly 3-19 Wizards.
Though he’s only appeared in nine contests for Washington this season, Brogdon recently discussed his expected return in the next few games and his reputation as a mid-season trade target when he sat down with Monumental Sports Network’s Rachel Nichols during an episode of her Hometown interview series.
“It’s part of what you sign up for, I think, in the NBA,” Brogdon shared Tuesday. “Honestly what I’ve worked for is being so good that different teams want you.”
Brogdon’s composed nature and intelligence as a 6-foot-4 point guard have been invaluable commodities that he’s provided to competitive teams for the majority of his career, and bringing those qualities to Golden State could partially lead to the extension of Curry’s championship window.
In order to acquire Brogdon from the Wizards, Golden State would likely ship Podziemski and sufficient draft compensation out to help accelerate Washington’s rebuilding efforts.
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