Grizzlies forward Andre Iguodala is preparing to sit out the remainder of the season if he’s not dealt to one of his preferred destinations by Thursday’s trade deadline, David Aldridge of The Athletic tweets.
Iguodala has been in limbo since the Warriors traded him to Memphis during the offseason. Iguodala and the Grizzlies’ front office mutually agreed that he didn’t have to play there but Memphis has tried mightily to use the former Finals MVP as a trade chip. The Grizzlies haven’t been willing to buy him out, at least until the trade deadline expires.
Iguodala said last month that he’s in shape and ready to get back on the court. But even though the surprising Grizzlies are in postseason contention, he apparently has no interest in joining their playoff push.
Iguodala has an expiring $17MM contract and salary matching is one of the issues that has hindered a deal to a prime contender. There has been talk that Igoudala could get moved to the Mavericks but recent reports suggest that’s not the case.
So they’re paying him 17 million and he doesn’t want to play. America. What a country!
He wants to play, just not for them. They traded for him knowing this.
100% on team, not the player here.
But…they are paying him. Right?
I get Memphis screwed the pooch on this one. It’s still just ridiculous though that things have come to this in modern day sports.
You don’t understand anything Citris
It’s not the team’s fault that they can’t trade him. No one wants to take on Iggy’s $17M salary and give up anything of value to get him.
Memphis is an inept franchise. If they think andre at his current age is worth a first round pick and his full 17 million salary that is pure delusion. Just because they are in the 8th slot they have zero chance to beat anyone for at least 2/3 years. Really hope they get nothing for him.
Just because you’re a typical entitled Laker fan who thinks they are owed everyone doesn’t make it true. Memphis did the right thing by refusing to do a buy out in the hopes of landing an asset in return. That’s what’s rebuilding clubs should be doing. And if they can’t trade him, they really lose nothing. Sorry but not sorry if that doesn’t fit into your Lakers get everyone for free fantasy. Also, this isn’t years past where the 8th seed would be facing golden State and literally have 0 chance to win. If the standings stay the way they do and the Lakers stay the top seed, a few teams currently vying for the 8 spot would be able to give the Fakers a run for their money, imo
Did i say we would get him? Not suprised memphis is chipless. Try again troll.
lakers are not getting him because they have 0 to trade in draft picks. Lakers 2 best trade chips are both playing lots of minutes.
lakers are not getting him because they have 0 to trade in draft picks. Lakers 2 best trade chips are both playing lots of minutes.
The Grizzlies got a 1st Rd pick and Iggy and sent nothing back as they used the trade exception for Mike Conley. Sure they have to pay him but they didn’t give up any assets. Seems pretty shrewd to me. If all else fails they paid 17million for a draft pick and in the best case scenario they get more possibly 2 firsts.
There’s never been any value to the Grizzlies to buy Iguodala out as long as he’s not willing to leave money on the table. The veteran’s minimum has little importance to them considering they’re not really in range of the tax apron (they’re hard capped). They’re not up against the hard cap, they don’t have a roster crunch, there just isn’t any value from buying him out.
Calling them inept sure sounds like entitled whining, not sure why you’d say their revamped org is inept.
They drafted Morant and Clarke in the first round, they got a first rounder for taking Iguodala, which was an effective use of the trade exception they got in the Conley trade (which has also netted them a pick and a handful of players), they are in rebuilding mode and they’re already competing for a playoff spot.
Does that sound inept?
I’m not sure why anyone thinks that Iguodala or anyone is entitled to a buyout, as it doesn’t make any sense for the Grizzlies. Maybe it’s a good idea to think about it from the team’s perspective instead of assuming that they should just give him away. Explain what value the Grizzlies get in buying him out and then maybe you’ll have a point.
Inept in terms of lack of building a championship caliber team since there existence. I can see why holding on to an aging veteran holds apply to a starving franchise that is winless but it comes across petty and foolish when iggy said he would take a buy out for less than his 17 million dollar cap hit. Instead holding out and eating 17 million hoping for a 1st rounder when it cost gsw a first to get rid of him last year. So yes memphis is a terrible franchise literally wasted both gasol brothers in a 20 year span. Also dont see morant or jackson doing much besides just making playoffs looking like anothee trailblazer situation at absolute best.
Inept because they haven’t won a championship in the last 25 years? Yeah, neither have most teams. The NBA has the least parity of any major league, so it’s not like their “championship drought” is unique. Are all the teams inept?
Iguodala said he would not leave any money on the table in a buyout. He did not say he would take less money. Explain where the value is to the Grizzlies and I’ll listen to your point.
I don’t recall hearing Iguodala would take less in a buy-out. He wanted the money and a vacation… this is consistent with what he’s like.
Also getting Morant and Clarke in a draft has no downside. They might go 1-2 in ROY!
Memphis has done what they could. Grit and grind was successful for years and the Griz were just outside of contention for years. Memphis is never going to be a top free agent destination. Not everyone can buy a championship team every few years like the Lakers.
I hope he sits like JR Smith is sitting.
Strange agreement (“preferred destinations”). But unless it came with an agreement to buy him out if they couldn’t trade him to one of those (which would be even stranger), they almost can’t buy him out.
Good to know the contract only has to be kept on one side but not the other.
Both sides agreed to let him not play. Not sure what’s not being understood by this. He doesn’t want to play there, the Grizzlies knew that in trading for him, so instead of him getting hurt and them 100% having no chance to get anything for him, they let him stay home. They have to pay him either way, and the reason they made the deal wasn’t for him anyway, it was for the pick they got from GS.
Doesn’t matter what he wants, he’s under contract. How do people not get this? He doesn’t have the right to dictate anything. His only right is to forfeit his entire salary in a buyout. The San Francisco air fried this clowns brain.
Lol…no.
Players don’t forfeit their entire salary in a buyout.
Better question is, what are the preferred destinations.
I never understood the fascination with Andre Iguodala at his current state. Yes, he used to be good, but really isn’t that good anymore. He’s maybe a bench piece on a true championship contending team, about 20 mins a night. Why are people getting all up in a fuss over that?? This isn’t Andre Iguodala from 4-5 years ago.
Because at league minimum (or somewhere near it), with the Grizzlies paying the remaining salary after a buyout, he’s very attractive to every contender
Keep dreaming
Andre making 17mill sitting at home watching ESPN not a bad deal at all lol…
Just play for the Grizzlies you cry baby! What a diva. He acts like he’s some legend or something. He ain’t LeBron!
Maybe, just maybe, did you consider the fact that THEY might not want him to play for them? They didn’t trade to get him. They traded to get the pick the Warriors needed to give up to move him to make the moves they wanted to make. Nobody has really lost in this situation so far.
Unless this so called agreement is in writing, I would file a grievance, and force him to play next week year without pay. What iguodala is doing is explicitly against the cba ..
Year*
Lol he’s hardly the first player to be in a situation like this.
And yeah, totally punish him by making him play on no salary! Lmao. Stay out of basketball talk, since you don’t know anything about it.
Don’t be surprised if Andre surfaces at Golden State next year…..
Why would a player that old want to play for a team that would be re-building if they were smart rather than try to keep competing with three players who can’t possibly contend anymore without the supporting cast they had over the past 5 years?
pretty sure those 3 dudes won a championship with guys like festus ezeli, mo speights, leandro barbosa, andrew bogut, ya know guys that ain’t in the Association any longer. but keep trolling, Rockets gonna scud into the earth again. To bad they can’t use trash cans in the NBA.
I love the fire from the young Grizz against Iggy even if I personally don’t really mind the situation. He’s dreaming though if he thinks the team is gonna pay him the full buyout to watch him go sign with a team that could very well be the one to knock them out in the first round of the playoffs. That’s just insulting and I don’t blame them for leaving him in limbo if he won’t leave any money on the table. Go ahead and collect the whole paycheck, but you won’t do it playing for a different team that’s gonna beat us.
All those other teams would beat you in the playoffs this year with or without Iggy my man
Right. I thought that’s what I said? If you gotta pay Iggy either way, why pay him to beat you when you could pay him to sit at home?
Every time Iggy gets brought up people sit in the comments and shame him. The Grizzlies knew he was not going to play for them. They did the trade anyway in hopes of flipping him. They bit off more than they could chew. Don’t blame Iggy for not giving the last of his healthy seasons to Memphis.
I saw today Grizzlies players are starting to get upset. Dillon Brooks said something like “I hope we hurry up and trade him so we can play against him and show him what Memphis is really about” and I think Ja Morant retweeted it. I’m not really on twitter so it’s secondhand info lol
Mr Iguodala, do your job.
What a joke retire already