Brandin Podziemski is listed as questionable for the Golden State Warriors’ game against the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday, Oct. 23, at Chase Center. The NBA’s official injury report released Thursday, Oct. 22, lists the reason as bilateral low back soreness. Podziemski missed Wednesday’s regular-season opener, a 127-105 loss to the Lakers, with the same issue.
Before the opener, Steve Kerr said the Warriors were “hopeful” Podziemski would return against Memphis. ESPN’s Anthony Slater first reported the comment. A final call on his availability is expected at some point Friday.
Podziemski tweaked his back on Sunday, Oct. 18, and missed practices before the opener after playing in all five preseason games. The opener ended his streak of consecutive games played at 98.
He played all 82 games in 2025-26, the only Warriors player to do so, and averaged 13.8 points, 5.1 rebounds and 3.7 assists. The Warriors then signed him to a reported five-year, $110 million rookie-scale extension. When the deal was announced, general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. called him “a durable, skilled, two-way player that makes our team better each time he takes the court.”
De’Anthony Melton started next to Stephen Curry in Podziemski’s place against the Lakers and played 21 minutes. Will Richard played 20 minutes and Brandon Williams played 18.
The rest of the injury report is also long. Jimmy Butler III is out after right ACL surgery, and Moses Moody is out after surgery to repair his left patellar tendon.
Kristaps Porziņģis is listed as out because he is not with the team. Charles Bassey is questionable with right patellar tendinopathy.
Golden State Has No Spare Guards Behind Podziemski
The Warriors’ rotation was built on the assumption that Podziemski would be available. His 82-game 2025-26 season was part of what the front office paid for, and with Butler and Moody both recovering from surgery, he is the second ballhandler the backcourt depends on.
In the opener, his minutes were split among three players, and none of them gives Kerr his rebounding and secondary playmaking, which let Curry work off the ball. The reporting has not described anything beyond soreness, so the issue so far is the team’s thin depth, not a long absence.
The Decision Comes Before Friday’s Tipoff
Podziemski’s status for Memphis is expected to be settled Friday before the game at Chase Center. If he plays, it will be his 2026-27 regular-season debut. If he sits, the guard minutes will likely again go to Melton, Richard and Williams.
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