Andre Iguodala was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies by the Golden State Warriors in a cap-saving move following the team’s defeat in the 2019 NBA Finals. With Klay Thompson having torn his ACL prior to that deal, the Dubs knew their following season would be a difficult one.
That said, there doesn’t seem to be much hatred from the veteran forward who was eventually flipped to the Jimmy Butler-led Miami Heat, a team that was recently bounced from the NBA Playoffs.
Former Golden State Warriors forward Andre Iguodala will likely be on the market, and the Dubs must find a way to bring him back to the Bay Area.
The Heat were drastic disappointments this postseason as their 2020 NBA Finals run seemed to be a fluke as a similar team was absolutely obliterated by the reigning MVP, Giannis Antetokounmpo.
With Miami now out, they can focus on the priorities at hand which will be figuring out who to bring back next season. Iguodala will be a player likely on the cutting block as he’ll have a team option that’s valued at $15 million.
As Goran Dragic‘s team option nears $20 million, keeping them both doesn’t seem overly realistic if they plan to retain most of their talent on the roster.
Keeping someone at $15 million that you play fewer than 24 minutes per night seems unlikely, so I’d expect Iguodala not to be kept on for next season. That would make him an unrestricted free agent, and there’d be no place like home other than the Bay Area.
Iguodala is 37, so if he’s not retained by Miami, he may opt to retire. There’s no denying that Golden State could use his services though.
He’s still a capable defender, and more importantly, he’d given the bench that spark. He understands the culture and how to flawlessly play with the Big 3. There’s something to be said about that trait as well.
The Warriors didn’t have much depth behind Andrew Wiggins.
Unless they get lucky and have Jalen Green fall or take a risk on Jalen Johnson, the Dubs need to find a way to add talent at the three. Iguodala is no long-term solution, but for one year, he has everything in his toolbox that Golden State should desire.
Having spent six seasons with the Warriors and being a key part of their three titles, the reunion makes perfect sense, and if both parties see it that way, there’s no reason why the two sides couldn’t work out a deal.