Andre Iguodala knows his time in Golden State is going to be 'done soon'
Amid all the drama involving Kevin Durant and Draymond Green — a bizarre blowup that sent the Golden State Warriors into a four-game freefall and had even those closest to the team wondering if the dynasty was not long for this NBA world — another foundational member of the three-time champions has quietly come to the realization that his time in the Bay Area is nearing its conclusion.
Andre Iguodala, the 34-year-old former All-Star who earned Finals MVP honors on Golden State’s first title run, all but declared to NBC Sports Bay Area’s Monte Poole that this is either the final year of his Warriors tenure (if they fail to win the title) or his penultimate season with the team (if they do win it).
“I’m going to be done soon,” he told NBC Sports Bay Area this week. “I could probably play a legit five more years, but I’ll probably max out at three more after this year — maybe three more.
“But if I’m not here, that will weigh heavily on what I will do. I possibly have another year here — if we win. That’s it. I know that. I’m fine with it.”
Possibly? Reminded that he is under contract for the 2019-20 season, at 17.2 million, the final year of the three-year, $48 million deal he signed in July 2017, Iguodala waves it off.
“That’s if we win,” he said. “If not …”
A window behind the Warriors dynasty
That statement is both straightforward and cryptic at the same time. The three-year timeline is pretty definitive, but this bit about knowing next year is his last with the Warriors if they win and that vague reference to leaving after a failed playoff run this June — well, it all sounds like he’s ever-so-slightly opening a window behind the scenes of what is a pretty fascinating title mandate for this franchise.
We can’t be sure, but it definitely sounds like Iguodala is suggesting that, should the Warriors take home the Larry O’Brien trophy, they’re fully prepared to run this team back in hopes of becoming the first team since the 1960s Boston Celtics to win four straight championships. Whether or not that plan includes Durant, we don’t know. “If not …”? Well, Golden State may be prepared to pivot toward reconstructing the contender, and Iguodala seems to understand that he is not part of that project.
What is Iguodala’s value going forward?
Iguodala carries a $17.2 million expiring contract next season, which when packaged with other assets, makes him a pretty valuable trade piece. The Warriors might be able to turn that into multiple players who can add depth around Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green, rebuilding the “strength in numbers” foundation that made the 2015 and 2016 versions of the Warriors so dangerous.
Either way, it should come as no surprise that Iguodala’s tenure in Golden State is nearing its end. The three-year, $48 million deal he signed in July 2017 was an overpay for good reason. The Warriors could not afford to lose Iguodala, because his ability to defend multiple positions and play on or off the ball offensively played a factor in translating some switch- and stretch-heavy schemes on paper into a death lineup on the court. But as Iguodala advances into his mid-30s, with minutes restrictions and regular rest scheduled into his maintenance program, his value dips with each passing season.
Surely, Iguodala would have an open invitation from the Warriors to play out the final years of his NBA career on veteran minimum contracts, much like David West did at ages 36 and 37 the past two years, but it doesn’t sound like he’s interested in going that route. He likely holds more value to other teams in need of veteran guidance either for a youth movement or to navigate the road to contention.
The Warriors nearly lost Iguodala in 2017
It’s unclear if Iguodala’s self-imposed Golden State deadline has anything to do with the drama that fellow veterans West and Shaun Livingston referenced last season and came to the surface this year.
Iguodala leveraged the interest of a handful of other teams to get the Warriors to meet his asking price in 2017, and while they may not be willing to pony up for his services again, his loss would be no less disruptive for a team in need of versatility, depth and veteran leadership, especially if Durant also leaves this summer and/or Green departs in 2020. The dynasty hasn’t crumbled yet, but Iguodala’s departure would be one more crack in the foundation of a team with its sights on several more titles.
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Ben Rohrbach is a staff writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at rohrbach_ben@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @brohrbach
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