A former member of the Golden State Warriors, Andre Iguodala, may be stuck on the Memphis Grizzlies.
Andre Iguodala will forever be remembered by the Golden State Warriors. His contributions to their championship runs made him a fan favorite. Now, the 2015 NBA Finals MVP might be forced to play the final season of his Hall-of-Fame career with the Memphis Grizzlies.
Iguodala was shipped to Memphis as a result of the D’Angelo Russell sign-and-trade that helped the Warriors receive something in return for the loss of Kevin Durant. The Dubs never wanted to part ways with Iggy, but it was a necessary move to keep the franchise in championship contention.
The Grizzlies are far from championship contention. Undergoing a massive rebuild, the Grizzlies have traded both Marc Gasol and Mike Conley in order to make room for their new cornerstones, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Ja Morant.
Adding Iggy to this roster does nothing but provide veteran leadership. While it’s fair for Memphis to want a veteran presence on their roster, it will be a shame if Iggy’s career ends here.
Sources: Memphis wants three-time champion Andre Iguodala to report to training camp and is refusing right now to engage in buyout, which would prevent Iguodala from finishing a Hall of Fame career on his terms because this may be his final NBA season.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) September 9, 2019
At 35 years of age, Iggy isn’t interested in a rebuild. Rather, he wants to spend his final season’s playing for a championship contender. He still has some gas in the tank and can be a big help to title contenders.
The Grizzlies have already bought out veteran center, Dwight Howard, allowing him to sign with a top tier team. This move may have been due to Howard’s history of locker room issues. Still, most assumed the Grizzlies would have similar discussions with Iguodala.
As of now, it looks like the Grizzlies have no plans of buying out Iggy. Consequently, he will either play his final season with Memphis or choose to retire immediately. Hopefully, these two parties will find an agreement soon.