The Golden State Warriors’ Sixth Man extraordinaire, Andre Iguodala, is a free agent. He’s going to take meetings with other teams. Will he leave?
The Golden State Warriors two of their top four players locked up in Draymond Green and Klay Thompson. Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant are both free agents. After winning a championship together, those two are, most likely, not going anywhere.
Still, the Warriors’ dominant “Super Death Lineup” has a fifth player. It doesn’t work without Andre Iguodala. For the last four years, he’s been an important part of what they’ve done.
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The 33 year old isn’t the All-Star he once was, but he’s still really good. Defensively, he’s one of the best in the league. On the other end of the floor, he’s a strong ball handler and playmaker.
He’s a free agent this summer and he and the Warriors are negotiating. There are reports that plenty of teams are interested in the swingman and for good reason. He can offer a lot over the next few years in terms of defense and veteran experience.
Still, there’s a matter of price and how much is he really worth? His knees aren’t the greatest and he’s had back problems. So with Curry and Durant in line for big paydays, how much do the Warriors want to invest in Iguodala? And, more importantly, for how long?
Reports have surfaced saying that he will meet with other teams once free agency opens. And he absolutely should. He needs to do his due diligence.
Iguodala could very well leave the Warriors if he’s blown away by an offer. This is his last chance at a big NBA contract so he needs to seriously weight his options. If someone is really willing to open their checkbook for him in ways that Joe Lacob won’t then he has to consider it.
But Iguodala likes the Bay Area. With Silicon Valley in his backyard, he can prepare for post-retirement life and pursue his other interests. He took a pay cut before when he initially signed with the Warriors because of the proposition of being in the area.
Golden State also provides the best basketball situation for him. Unless he goes to the Cleveland Cavaliers (who are not in on him), he won’t be competing for a championship anywhere else. He fits with the Warriors and he’s helped build something special.
If I were a betting man, I’d say Iguodala stays. If anything, he or his agent might be leaking information about these meetings with other teams and the interest he’s garnering in order to get a few more dollars out of Lacob.
He has to be fair to himself and field offers, just in case. But Iguodala could potentially become a Hall of Famer if he stays with the Warriors and wins a few more rings. It’s possible he leaves, but the Warriors definitely have the advantage.