Jun 16, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Andre Iguodala (9) reacts during the fourth quarter of game six of the NBA Finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
We’re going to keep trying a series where we take a deeper dive at some of the upcoming free agents and give my personal and amateur opinions about the best situations for them.
ANDRE IGUODALA
The player you’re getting
We’ve all noticed a shift in the NBA and its style of play, but no one can be more of an expert on that subject than Andre Iguodala. He’s literally been an eye witness to it.
Drafted by Philadelphia, Iguodala got a firsthand look at an old school MVP playing next to Allen Iverson. Iverson pumped in 33.0 points per game in 04-05 (playing 42+ minutes a night), with 25.3 field goal and 11.5 free throw attempts per night. Barely 12% of Iverson’s field goal attempts were three-pointers.
Flash forward a decade later, and Iguodala finds himself playing alongside another MVP in Steph Curry. Over the past three seasons, over 50% of Curry’s field goal attempts have been threes. Efficiency has clearly become an emphasis, with his other teammate Kevin Durant scoring 25.1 points on only 16.5 shots per game.
It’s a testament to Iguodala that he’s been able to make that transition and thrive in any era. That’s usually what happens when you play with his level of defense and basketball IQ. Iguodala’s been an All-Star before and a featured player before (racking up 18.8 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 5.3 assists for Philly in ’08-09 post-Iverson) but he’s currently best used as a versatile role player. In 26 minutes this past year for Golden State, he’s averaged 7.6 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 3.4 assists.
Going forward, Iguodala should continue to be an effective 5th starter or 6th man for essentially any team in the league. At 33, he’s still a good passer and great defensive player. His shooting, on the other hand, is more of a question mark. He’s hit 35% of his threes in Golden State, but that’s on a team that gives him a lot of open looks. On another squad, we could be looking at percentages closer to his career number of 33.6%. That, coupled with dwindling free throw attempts (1.3 last season, for a player who once averaged 7.3), makes him a marginal offensive player right now, and one best served with good teammates around him.
The contract he’s getting
If you could land Andre Iguodala on a one-year deal, you can talk yourself into paying him $12+ million given his current contributions. The problem is that he’s 33, and may be looking for one last long-term deal before he retires. The longer the contract is, the more risk you’re adding. Iguodala’s had some nagging injuries, and will presumably lose a step or two as he ages. Without his defensive abilities, he doesn’t offer much. Given all that, I can see a $10-12 million for Iguodala on a short-term deal, and maybe $8-10 million if you’re willing to extend that to 3-4 years.
In terms of the contract, Iguodala will actually get, it could go either way. If he stays in Golden State, it’ll most likely be a discount. If he moves on, it could mean a team wants to overpay for his name, his reputation (as a Finals MVP), and his positive effect on a team’s locker room.
The best fits
(3) Memphis Grizzlies
For most teams, the 33-year-old Andre Iguodala would mean adding some age and experience to the locker room. For the Memphis Grizzlies, it’d mean an influx of “youth.”
Right now, they have two key rotational players hitting free agency in Tony Allen and Vince Carter, who are 35 and 40 years old, respectively. Iguodala would be a capable replacement for them, and an improvement to boot.
Under David Fizdale, the Grizzlies have been trying to open up their offense and shoot more threes. Iguodala wouldn’t be an ideal spacer for them in that regard, but he’s more skilled offensively than Tony Allen. Defensively, he’s a better athlete and stopper than Vince Carter. I can also see Iguodala’s passing ability fitting in well with current stars Mike Conley and Marc Gasol, two high-IQ players who can move the ball.
(2) Minnesota Timberwolves
Minnesota’s trade for Jimmy Butler changes the game for the Timberwolves: no longer content to build for the future, they’re effectively “going for it” now. With cap room to spare, they can make a play for more veterans to help that playoff chase like Iguodala.
In Minnesota, Iguodala would continue to have a backup 6th man role, playing minutes behind Andrew Wiggins and Jimmy Butler. However, he’d be a nice boost for them off the bench, with fresher legs than Brandon Rush and a savvier skill set than Shabazz Muhammad.
He’s not the shooter and spacer that this team needs, but he’ll help them nonetheless in terms of their depth and chemistry. The T-Wolves young players have displayed a frightening lack of intensity on defense so far. Jimmy Butler should help that quite a bit, but adding Iguodala would be doubling down on D.
(1) Golden State Warriors
At the end of the day, I have to imagine Andre Iguodala will stay with the Warriors. Perhaps he can get a larger role elsewhere. Perhaps he can more money elsewhere. But for a man who, according to hoopshype, has made over $120 million in his career, a few extra million shouldn’t matter.
I actually think the Warriors brass may be willing to overpay Iguodala as well (at least, on a short-term deal.) They’re going to have to pony up for massive extensions for Steph Curry and Kevin Durant, but they still have 2 more years on Klay Thompson‘s contract and 3 on Draymond Green‘s. They can give Iguodala some extra cash in the short term and bite the bullet on the luxury tax, knowing that they’re in a rich market that’s more than willing to pay for some courtside fans to the greatest show on earth.
