What’s going on with Golden State Warriors’ veteran?
It’s been over ten weeks since the Golden State Warriors’ second-round elimination at the hands of the Los Angeles Lakers. However, there’s yet to be word on the future of veteran forward and 2015 Finals MVP Andre Iguodala.
It appeared a mere formality that Iguodala would announce his retirement after an injury-plagued and ultimately disappointing 19th season in the league. Yet things have been quiet on that front, leaving question marks on what the 39-year-old is planning on doing.
Will Andre Iguodala remain at the Golden State Warriors in some capacity? Will that be as a coach, mentor or even still as a player?
Iguodala’s future was already clouded last offseason with many believing he’d go out on top after the Warriors’ triumphant 2022 championship. After long deliberation, in late September he announced on his podcast that he’d re-sign for another season with the franchise.
During that announcement, Iguodala seemed to indicate that the 2022-23 season would be his last. But with nothing official at this point, what’s going on? Could his future involve one more season as a player?
Iguodala’s supposed final season hardly went according to plan. The workload of an entire career caught up with him, leaving the four-time NBA champion available for just eight games in total and none after March 13 against the Phoenix Suns.
Perhaps he has a wish to go out on his own terms, a desire that went awry after a fractured left wrist required surgery and ultimately ended his season. But at this point, with just 39 total games in his last two seasons since returning to Golden State, will his body ever allow Iguodala another opportunity at going out on top?
As disrespectful as it may be, it’s not as if a fully healthy Iguodala is an overly impactful player at this point of his career anyway. He’s a non-existent scoring threat and while he’ll always be a smart defender, the physical decline has taken its toll on that end.
The Warriors do have two remaining roster spots for next season — although ‘Iggy’ hasn’t been a consideration for one of those, the longer it plays out without a retirement announcement, the more he may come into the frame.
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What Iguodala offers most at this stage — invaluable experience, guidance, and education for the Warrior younger players — can all be delivered in an off-floor role whether formal or not. Would he be interested in that, does he still want to play, or is he happy riding into the sunset and into a profitable media/off-court career? Only Iguodala himself knows at this stage.