The Grizzlies and Andre Iguodala have reached a mutual agreement that will allow Iguodala to skip training camp, Chris Herrington of the Daily Memphian reports.
Iguodala will work out at a location of his choosing while the front office seeks the best trade offer for the veteran forward, Herrington adds. Iguodala will not make an appearance at the team’s annual Media Day, freeing him from the awkwardness of talking about his uncertain future.
His absence could stretch into the first couple of months of the season and he has braced for that possibility, Herrington adds. Many of the players signed as free agents this summer won’t become trade-eligible until December 15.
Iguodala said in an interview over the weekend that he and the Memphis front office were “on the same page.”
Iguodala has the highest salary on the roster at a shade below $17.2MM. He’s in the final year of his deal.
He was acquired in a salary dump by the cap-strapped Warriors, who sweetened the deal with a future first-round pick. Memphis believes it can obtain even more assets for Iguodala in another trade, which is why the club hasn’t shown interest in a buyout.
The 35-year-old Iguodala spent the last six years with the Warriors, mainly as their sixth man.
Iguodala is among 15 players with fully guaranteed contracts for the hard-capped Grizzlies, who are building around their last two lottery picks, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Ja Morant.
It’s going to be hard to deal him with a $17.2m salary. Even if they can Memphis isn’t getting any thing in return. Just buy him out, save some money and move on.
Except Iguodala has been quoted as saying he won’t leave any money on the table. If that’s true, a buyout is obviously useless to Memphis.
It is sad that a team pretty much has to be held hostage by a player like this. If they want to bring in this guy who they have under contract (as their highest paid player!) and who has a great 15-year reputation as a team player and good locker room guy, he will be a cancerous malcontent. Because he feels entitled to be a free agent or to have a no trade clause he failed to negotiate. So lame.
Welcome to the Player Empowerment Thunderdome!
What do you mean “has to”? The team is the one trying to trade him to avoid the salary commitment. They could have chosen to play him and use him.
He doesn’t want to play there…
Counter point, he never agreed to play for Memphis. So who is the hostage?
A 17 million dollar hostage doesn’t sound too bad….Ferrari, Lambo, come & go as you please…Stop it already!
Ridiculous comment. Memphis knew what they were getting when they made the trade. That was essentially the whole point of this story. Not sure how you managed to come to the conclusion that Iggy is holding them hostage. If they don’t buy him out they would basically be holding HIM hostage.
Yeah…I’ll be held hostage for $17M to sit at home any day
well, the team made $213M last season so…
The guy wants to play for a contender instead of a crappy team like Memphis, why is that his fault? He didn’t ask to be traded there.
All the players wanna play for a contending team but… some have to play in bad teams, I can understand young guys doing that but… Iggy I think it is very unprofessional of him & tarnishes his reputation, when you have earned over $150MM over your career, surely you can happily leave some money on the table, you will be paid in the next team that sadly will sign a guy who cares for $ not hoops.
Then blame Golden State for trading him there. If he wants out of Memphis so bad, take less than 100% on a buyout and latch on with a contender at the veteran minimum. You know who can afford an aging role player making $17M? Not the teams he wants to play for.
What do you know? Iggy has never been a malcontent. But after his years on the dubs he deserves better. It’s non of your business anyways
If it took the Warriors a first to dump Iguodala, Grizzlies probably isn’t going to get any assets back for trading him.
Exactly. Just like OKC and Chris Paul. They’re so glad to receive first round picks and take the guy in, but when they want to trade these guys away they want Assets in return LOL. Doesn’t make much sense.
Chris Paul has a lot more left to offer at this point, but he’s still owed $124M compared to just $17M for Iggy. Miami might be willing to make a trade for CP3, but OKC will have to give up multiple first round picks to send him there.
2 completely different situations though! GSW needed to move AI to land a superior player and keep them in contention in Russell. That’s why they added picks to get MEM to take him. Memphis is the complete opposite of GSW, a rebuilder who craves assets, that’s why they want to maximize their return rather than buy him out
It could have been second round picks, though. And they could as well find another team to take on Iguodala during the sign and trade if there is enough interest for him.
That is the question, so far it would seem to me that no one, absolutely no one is interested in him, which is understandable.
I’m not sure who has expressed interest in Iggy besides Denver, the LA teams, and Houston, but Dallas is a team that might give up something of value to make a deal. Courtney Lee plus one of their summer signings works salary wise.
Seems like a good move for both sides. Iggy has been a class act and deserves to spend one of his few remaining years on a contender. It’s just a matter of Memphis finding a team willing to part with something and absorb the cap hit
They have already been trying to do that for the last two months with zero success. Memphis will just have to bite the bullet.
Why does he deserve it? Why more than any other player?
If he was such a class act, he would show up and earn his cash like a man not a beggar boy…..
Iggy wants to finish his career with the Warriors…….probably not going to happen…..
He can if he doesnt want this to be his last season. Im sure they would be happy to offer him the MLE next summer if he has one more in him since they wont be hard capped at that point. Hell they could even trade for his expiring contract back next year in June with the Trade Exemption they got when they sent him out if they wanted to offer him more. It would probably just take a little money to pick up his expiring deal after the finals end. If he gets traded then released they could re-acquire him this season down the road.
I hardly think Iguodala would be a positive influence in the lockerroom. People say he has a good rep for that but really? A guy who slacks through most of the RS, even for a winning team with a good rep (GSW)? The Memphis FO cannot truly claim they want him around a rebuilding team. He will just idle until February when his salary is less of a burden to another team.
Slacks through regular season? You’re an idiot. At his age he could not possible play the defensive role the dubs needed at that rate. He always needed to hold some back for the playoffs. He can still really help a serous contender, he’d be eating his time in Memphis.
Same thing… Slacking in the RS, or, “needed to hold some back for the playoffs”; you must be an idiot too! He had to start saving himself at 30, a couple years from being an allstar? GSW gave up a lot for him. And Iguodala had better defensive stats than Barnes.
Whatever, it worked.
But him not showing up for work while still expecting a check pretty much fits my wordage. So does Memphis not bothered too much by him not reporting.
A waste of his time or a waste of a team’s money? The verdict is in and the NBA will roll without him.
He doesn’t want to play then he shouldn’t be paid. It’s as simple as that. People work jobs they don’t like or at places they don’t like but have to deal with it to earn check.
Lost all respect for Iggy..If money is so important he should show up and earn his 17 million. Not earning his cash and taking charity is more than troubling. Much worse than the homeless on the streets begging for cash. He should teach the younger players the way older players trained him….Iggy the Mooch….
Wiggins for Iggy? do it!