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The Golden State Warriors will need to pay attention to their prospects in NBA Summer League if they want to find a hidden gem who can help them reclaim the NBA championship this 2023-24 season. The Warriors are still rounding out their roster in free agency after getting their top priority of re-signing Draymond Green to a long-term deal done as soon as the market opened last Friday. In addition, Golden State signed point guard Cory Joseph to a minimum deal to bolster their backcourt further.
Some Warriors fans are still reeling from the trade that sent Jordan Poole to the Washington Wizards. In exchange, they acquired a long-time nemesis in future Hall of Fame point guard Chris Paul, who is a weird, yet intriguing fit in Dub Nation. In the same deal, they also lost their two rookies from a season ago Patrick Baldwin Jr. and Ryan Rollins.
Golden State also lost Donte DiVincenzo, who signed a four-year deal with the New York Knicks in free agency. Last season's two-way guard Ty Jerome also landed a two-year contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers. New Warriors GM Mike Dunleavy Jr. is far from done as he continues to field the market for complementary pieces that he can plug alongside Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, and Klay Thompson. But he will have his work cut out for him as the Warriors can only offer minimum contracts, ideally to veterans willing to take a pay cut for the chance to win a title.
Nonetheless, the NBA Summer League is another avenue for the Warriors to complete their 15-man roster. Golden State has already announced its Summer League roster. With that said, here are three must-watch prospects for the Warriors in the 2023 NBA Summer League.
1. Brandin Podziemski
Seeing the most recent draft picks play is always the most exciting part of NBA Summer League. For Brandin Podziemski, all eyes will be on him as soon as he steps on the floor in Sacramento at the California Classic and eventually in Las Vegas.
The Warriors drafted Podziemski with the 19th overall pick. He is one of the best shooters of his class, as he connected on 43.8 percent of his shots from three on high volume at 5.8 attempts per game. In 32 games at Santa Clara, the 6-foot-5 guard averaged 19.9 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 3.7 assists.
On surface level, it seems like Podziemski will be the de facto Jordan Poole replacement. While Poole worked his tail off to become the player he is today, Podziemski brings a lot of what the new Wizards brought to the table in Golden State. Podziemski is a solid knockdown sniper from the perimeter. He should thrive as an efficient catch-and-shoot threat in the Warriors' motion-heavy offensive system.
Podziemski also possesses a soft touch on his float game, something that Stephen Curry can further develop with him down the line. He is also adept at creating for himself and for his teammates. As seen with his rebounding averages, he is also terrific at crashing the glass for his size.
Brandon Podziemski is certainly the most intriguing player to watch out for in Summer League. Keep your eyes peeled for this kid, Dub Nation.
2. Trayce Jackson-Davis
Trayce Jackson-Davis is the other rook that should also excite Warriors fans. Many see Jackson-Davis as a steal the Warriors drafted at 57th overall. The Ringer's Kevin O'Conner had the 6-foot-8 big going at 30th overall. So, you know that Golden State got a value pick with him late in the draft.
The pick originally belonged to Washington. Golden State acquired his rights in exchange for last year's first-round pick Patrick Baldwin Jr. The draft-day deal was added to the Chris Paul-Jordan Poole trade.
The Warriors, per @ShamsCharania, are essentially flipping the Patrick Baldwin Jr. roster spot (and first round contract) for Trayce Jackson-Davis on a cheaper second round contract. Older prospect. This part of CP-Poole trade will be judged on which player is better quicker.
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) June 23, 2023
The son of former 16-year NBA veteran Dale Davis, Jackson-Davis was a consensus All-American last season. The four-year man out of Indiana turned in averages of 20.9 points, 10.8 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 2.9 blocks per game during his senior campaign.
Trayce Jackson-Davis gives the Warriors an intriguing end-of-bench big they can plug in in case Kevon Looney or Draymond Green go down. He provides great athleticism and is a solid lob threat. Just imagine the Warriors using him as a lob option in Draymond Green short-rolls to the basket.
3. Lester Quinones
Lester Quinones stood out in the NBA G-League and earned the Most Improved Player award and All-Rookie honors. In 31 games in Santa Cruz, Quinones averaged 21.8 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game while shooting 45.6 percent from the field and 35.4 percent from three.
Quinones is a solid microwave scorer who can knock down threes consistently on the catch. He erupted for 42 points in a loss to the Salt Lake City Stars in late February, then avenged the defeat by dropping a career-high 46 points against SLC nearly three weeks later.
Quinones was on the payroll as a two-way on two separate instances for Golden State last season. After going undrafted in 2022, he signed a two-way deal with the Warriors in June before they eventually gave it to Ty Jerome. The 6-foot-4 guard later regained one of the two-way roster spots after Golden State signed Anthony Lamb to a standard NBA deal. He should be in the running for a two-way spot again this year.
