Now that the Golden State Warriors have reclaimed the NBA title, their next order of business is to make sure they keep their core intact. That starts with Kevin Durant and Steph Curry, who are both set to enter free agency on July 1, although the organization has every reason to be confident that they’ll re-sign for the long-term.
For their other complementary pieces, things aren’t nearly as clear-cut. Last week, a report emerged via the Mercury News that Andre Iguodala and the Warriors were close to ironing out a deal that would keep him in Golden State for the foreseeable future and, furthermore, that he wasn’t even considering signing with other teams.
That now appears to have been wishful thinking, at least on somebody’s part. Via Shams Charania of The Vertical:
Iguodala plans to seriously consider other teams in July, league sources told The Vertical. Prospective teams would need to show in meetings a vision to move toward contention to pry Iguodala from Golden State, league sources said. In four seasons with the Warriors, Iguodala, who made $11.1 million this past season, has served as a playmaker and primary wing defender and established himself as a high-character leader.
Many teams are expected to pursue discussions with Iguodala, including the Warriors, Utah Jazz, Los Angeles Clippers, Chicago Bulls, Minnesota Timberwolves and Atlanta Hawks, league sources said. Among teams around the league, there’s a belief that the value this summer for a two-way wing such as Iguodala could reach $20 million annually.
Iguodala’s eventual market value could certainly complicate his future with the Warriors, given the hefty contracts they’ll have to fork over to Durant and Curry. Ultimately, though, it’ll be up to Iggy whether he wants to start over someplace else for a bigger paycheck or take less money and ride the Warriors gravy train to as many titles as possible the next few years. With a pair of titles and a Finals MVP award already under his belt in Golden State, it would be completely understandable if Iguodala wanted to go cash in on what would likely be his last big NBA contract rather than take less to stay in Oakland.
