Warriors Announce Surprise 2nd Surgery for Brandin Podziemski
Warriors Announce Surprise 2nd Surgery for Brandin Podziemski originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
Golden State Warriors second-year shooting guard Brandin Podziemski had a banged up wrist that required surgery following the team's playoff exit in the second round against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Advertisement
However, he apparently battled another issue down the team's stretch run that required a second surgery, which the franchise didn't make public until Wednesday, June 11.
"Warriors announce that Brandin Podziemski underwent surgery to repair a core muscle injury," Tim Kawakami wrote on X. "That's in addition to his wrist surgery last month. Still expected to be ready for the start of training camp -- but whew, this is getting to be a lot."
Podziemski, a first-round pick in 2023 (No. 19 overall), played in 64 games and started 33 of them during the regular season. He averaged 11.7 points, 5.1 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.1 steals across 26.8 minutes of court time per night.
Advertisement
His playoff numbers against the Rockets were slightly down from his regular-season efforts, while Podziemski's statistics against the Timberwolves in round two slightly exceeded what he produced during the year -- perhaps due, at least in part, to the absence of Stephen Curry from the final four contests of the five-game series due to a hamstring injury.
Podziemski was clearly dealing with both the wrist and core muscle issues during the second round, if not before then, which speaks to his toughness. However, the 22-year-old is going to be an important variable to the Warriors' championship equation in 2025-26, and his injuries complicate that.
Either Podziemski will be a starter and/or major rotation contributor for the Warriors throughout the campaign, or he will be one of the young centerpieces to a blockbuster trade to potentially add another star alongside Curry, Draymond Green and Jimmy Butler.
Regardless, Podziemski's injuries are certain to be of significant concern to the franchise as it enters a summer in which league insiders expect the team to be aggressively active in both the trade and free-agent markets.
Advertisement
Related: Warriors Guard Roasts Knicks After Conference Finals Loss
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 12, 2025, where it first appeared.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
38 minutes ago
- Yahoo
MLB to Celebrate Shohei Ohtani, Other Japanese Players with Custom Manhole Covers
MLB to Celebrate Shohei Ohtani, Other Japanese Players with Custom Manhole Covers originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani and Chicago Cubs slugger Seiya Suzuki are among 12 active Japanese MLB players that will be celebrated with custom manhole covers in Japan beginning June 16. Advertisement Per an article, the 12 custom manhole covers featuring one player in each design, will be installed at locations in Japan associated with that's player's roots in baseball. St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar, who represented the Japan National team in the 2023 World Baseball Classic, will also be one of the 12 players celebrated. Nootbaar, whose mother is of Japanese descent, will have his cover installed on Monday, June 23 in Higashimatsuyama City, Saitama Prefecture. In seven games for Team Japan during their 2023 WBC title run, Nootbaar slashed .269/.424/.269 with four RBIs, six walks and two stolen bases. Advertisement This season with the Cardinals, Nootbaar got off to a hot start but has cooled off this month. He's hitting just .128 in June with 15 strikeouts, and is marred in a 1-for-27 slump in his last seven games. Japan center fielder Lars Nootbaar (23) and team Japan celebrate after defeating the USA in the World Baseball ClassicRhona Wise-Imagn Images Each of the manhole covers were designed by different artists and a video depicting how they were made can be seen here. The full installation schedule and locations for the custom manhole covers are as follows: June 16 – Shohei Ohtani: Oshu City, Iwate Prefecture June 16 – Yusei Kikuchi: Morioka City, Iwate Prefecture June 16 – Roki Sasaki: Rikuzentakata City, Iwate Prefecture June 17 – Yu Darvish: Habikino City, Osaka Prefecture Advertisement June 18 – Yuki Matsui: Yokohama City, Kanagawa Prefecture June 19 – Shota Imanaga: Kitakyushu City, Fukuoka Prefecture June 23 – Lars Nootbaar: Higashimatsuyama City, Saitama Prefecture June 24 – Seiya Suzuki: Arakawa Ward, Tokyo June 25 – Yoshinobu Yamamoto: Bizen City, Okayama Prefecture June 26 – Masataka Yoshida: Fukui City, Fukui Prefecture June 27 – Kodai Senga: Gamagori City, Aichi Prefecture June 29 – Tomoyuki Sugano: Sagamihara City, Kanagawa Prefecture This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 13, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
43 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Raptors Send Brandon Ingram Message After Giannis Antetokounmpo News
Raptors Send Brandon Ingram Message After Giannis Antetokounmpo News originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Toronto Raptors season concluded on a disappointing note, derailed early by a wave of injuries that ultimately stunted their playoff hopes. After a solid start, the momentum faded significantly, as newly acquired forward Brandon Ingram was ruled out for the remainder of the season. His absence, alongside other key injuries, proved too much for the rebuilding Raptors to overcome. Advertisement Since their season ended, the Raptors have been linked to Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo. Doug Smith of the Toronto Star reported mutual interest between the two sides. However, it was reported on Friday that Antetokounmpo is expected to return to Milwaukee for a 13th season (via ESPN). Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34)© Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images With Antetokounmpo likely not coming to Toronto, the Raptors will need even more from Ingram. The former Los Angeles Lakers forward arrived from the New Orleans Pelicans in a February blockbuster—Toronto exchanged Bruce Brown, Kelly Olynyk, a 2026 first-round pick, and a 2031 second-rounder to secure him. The 27-year-old had been the Pelicans' standout, averaging 22.2 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 5.2 assists in his 18 games this season. On Friday, the Raptors shared a social media post featuring Ingram that included a simple message. Advertisement "No caption needed, y'all get the vibe," the team wrote. This cryptic yet heartfelt message was perhaps intended to reassure fans that Ingram's return is anticipated. He signed a three-year, $120 million extension immediately upon his arrival, a proof of Toronto's commitment to integrating him into their core alongside Scottie Barnes and RJ Barrett. Despite not playing a single game for the Raptors this season, Ingram remains very much in the team's plans. Next season, Toronto hopes his presence will elevate the team into playoff contention. Related: Doc Rivers Makes Giannis Antetokounmpo Decision After Raptors News Related: Raptors Facing Backlash After Pascal Siakam News This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 13, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Dwight Howard Urges Cooper Flagg to Return to Duke Amid $28 Million News
Dwight Howard Urges Cooper Flagg to Return to Duke Amid $28 Million News originally appeared on Athlon Sports. In the name, image and likeness (NIL) age, it pays to play college basketball. In Cooper Flagg's case, it pays around $28 million. Advertisement According to veteran sports reporter Howard Bryant, Flagg's solitary season with the Duke Blue Devils was very lucrative thanks to NIL deals with major brands like Fanatics and New Balance. Flagg's NIL agreement with New Balance netted him $13 million, the Fanatics sponsorship $15 million; both deals are set to follow Flagg to the NBA later this year. On June 25, Flagg is expected to go No. 1 overall to the Dallas Mavericks to tip off the 2025 NBA draft. But Dwight Howard, himself a former top overall pick, said Flagg should reverse course while he still can. Speaking on the "Nightcap" podcast with Shannon Sharpe and Chad Johnson, Howard made the stunning claim that Flagg should return to Duke. His reasoning? With NBA contracts getting larger and the salary cap continuing to rise, Flagg could be a billionaire by the time he is 23. Advertisement "If he stays two more years and wins at least one championship at Duke, he's gonna get at least $100 million off college," Howard explained. "Then, when he goes to the league, the salary cap is gonna be higher for rookies. He's gonna make $500 million. ... He's gonna be a billionaire before he finishes his rookie contract." Howard, soon to be enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, signed a three-year, $19.5 million contract when the Orlando Magic took him at the top of the 2004 NBA draft. More than 20 years later, Flagg is expected to sign a four-year, $62.7 million contract with the Mavericks if Dallas selects him in a few weeks. Faced with the prospect of making millions right away or waiting another 24 months to do so, Flagg certainly has been advised to take the money the Mavericks are going to offer. That said, with the NBA's collective bargaining agreement set to be renegotiated in the coming years, Howard has presented an intriguing argument for future rookies to ponder. Advertisement Related: Cooper Flagg's Stunning Duke NIL Earnings Revealed This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 2, 2025, where it first appeared.
