Andre Iguodala Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Lakers Notes: Iguodala, Barnes, Morris, Bynum

May 24th, 2012 at 10:47am CST by Luke Adams

A roster upheaval could be coming in Los Angeles, as Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak expects to explore "all opportunities" to improve the team's roster. Our round-up of Lakers items this morning includes some hints at possible moves, as two Lakers free agents discuss the future and Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld identifies a potential trade target….

Expect the Lakers to target Andre Iguodala again this summer, Kennedy writes in HoopsWorld's NBA AM feature. The Lakers pursued Iguodala a year ago, and a source tells Kennedy that Kobe Bryant would welcome the acquisition of an athletic small forward.
In his exit interview, Matt Barnes acknowledged that he may have played his last game as a Laker, as Brian Kamenetzky of ESPNLosAngeles.com notes. Barnes also suggested that his priorities in free agency may be different this time around: "The last few teams I’ve went to, it was in search of a ring, and have fallen short. I’ve always turned down a significant amount of money to do that. So that’s something we’ll have to sit down and see."
Darius Morris enjoyed his rookie season in Los Angeles but may end up heading somewhere where he can earn more playing time, writes Andy Kamenetzky of ESPN LA. "I love it here in L.A.," Morris said. "But being a young player, it's really important to be somewhere you feel you have an opportunity to play and get to grow on the court most importantly… We'll see what happens."
Vincent Bonsignore of the Los Angeles Daily News questions whether Andrew Bynum is the player the Lakers should be building around long-term as they prepare for Kobe Bryant's last few seasons.

Atlantic Notes: Celtics, Knicks, Williams, Iguodala

April 16th, 2012 at 7:05pm CST by Chuck Myron

With a four-game lead heading into the night, it looks like the Celtics will take the Atlantic Division crown this year, completing a dramatic second-half comeback and leaving the Sixers, who led for most of the season, to fight with the Knicks for the last two playoff spots in the Eastern Conference. Of those three teams, only the Sixers are in action tonight, taking on the Magic. There's plenty going on off the court, though, so let's check in with the news from the Eastern seaboard:

Howard Beck of The New York Times recounts the whirlwind of moves and near-moves that the Celtics and Knicks have endured since they met to open the season.
Deron Williams can go anywhere he wants this summer as an unrestricted free agent, but he'll be spending part of his time working out with Nets teammate DeShawn Stevenson in New Jersey, writes Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News.
John Mitchell of the Philadelphia Inquirer believes the Sixers will "work tirelessly" to move Andre Iguodala this summer (Twitter link). That will be a challenge, considering he has a total of $30.623MM left on his contract for two more seasons after this one. Iguodala has an early termination option in the final year of the deal, but it's doubtful he'd turn down the $15.9MM he'd earn that season.
The Nets get the Rockets' first-round pick this year as long as it's not in the lottery. With Houston teetering on the edge of the Western Conference playoff race, Tim Bontemps of the New York Post takes a look at the chances the Nets will hang on to the selection. For a continuously updated look at the probable draft order, bookmark our draft order tracker.
Frank Zicarelli of the Toronto Sun looks back at the nearly two years since Mikhail Prokhorov was approved as the Nets owner, and sees no progress toward the championship the Russian billionaire vowed the team would win within five years.

Trade Candidate: Andre Iguodala

March 7th, 2012 at 6:29pm CST by Alex Lee

Make no mistake about it, Andre Iguodala is having a fine year. The veteran forward was selected to his first All-Star game and has been mentioned as a potential Defensive Player of the Year candidate. While his scoring is down at 12.6 PPG, Iguodala has continued to stuff the statsheet as he always has while being the leader of a first place team.

But as the shine of a 20-9 start begins to wear off, the 76ers fans are getting restless. Going into tonight's game against Boston, the Sixers are 2-8 in their last 10 and have seen their once sizeable lead over the Celtics shrink to just a game. That stretch has shown the Sixers go ice cold offensively in the final minutes of close games, primarily because they lack an offensive star who can create his own shot.

Making almost $14MM this year, that player is supposed to be Iguodala. But as he showed on Sunday night against Chicago – where he airballed two pivotal attempts in the last few minutes – it probably is not. Iguodala's ineffectiveness at the end of games has led the team to turn to sixth man Louis Williams to take the final shot. Williams is a nice "instant offense" type of player, but he is not who a team wants deciding games for them if they intend to go deep in the playoffs.

Another issue is the lack of chemistry between Iguodala and Evan Turner – neither of whom is a traditional shooting guard. Turner's minutes have been down for the last month and the most popular theory is that those two cannot play together – prompting John Smallwood of the Philadelphia Daily News to suggest that one of them needs to go. As mentioned by Luke Adams, Smallwood thinks it will be Turner.

While I disagree that Turner will be moved, all of the elements mentioned above definitely point to the Sixers needing to make a decision at some point. They need a star, or at least someone who can create (and make) their own shot. With Iguodala due nearly $30MM in the two years after this one, the Sixers would need to take salary back to make a trade work.

How about a swap centered around Iguodala and the recently signed Marcus Thornton? Iguodala's defensive prowess would fit nicely around offensive studs Tyreke Evans and DeMarcus Cousins in Sacramento Meanwhile, Thornton's scoring and three point shooting would be a good fit in Philly. ESPN Trade Machine likes a straight up Iguodala-for-Thornton swap. Doug Collins and Rod Thorn both love Iguodala, so it is just speculation at this point, but it's clear that Philadelphia needs to do something, whether this year or very soon, if they want to compete with the upper echelon of the Eastern Conference.

Kyler On Rondo, Diaw, Mavs, Ellis, Scola

February 28th, 2012 at 10:18am CST by Luke Adams

Over at HoopsWorld, Steve Kyler kicks off a quick look at trade possibilities for all 30 teams, running alphabetically from Atlanta through Houston. Let's check out a few of Kyler's notes….

The general belief is that Rajon Rondo will remain a Celtic past March 15th unless Boston is blown away by an offer.
Bobcats sources say the team has received inquiries on Boris Diaw, who has an expiring contract worth $9MM.
Sources close to the Mavericks say the team views Rodrigue Beaubois and Dominique Jones as "possible sweeteners" in an offseason sign-and-trade deal for Dwight Howard or Deron Williams.
If the Warriors decide to move Monta Ellis, any deal may have to include a contract like David Lee's or Andris Biedrins' as well. According to Kyler's sources, the Warriors offered Ellis to the 76ers for Andre Iguodala at the start of the season.
Concerns about Luis Scola's knees may make it tough for the Rockets to find full value for him on the trade market.
For more on the ten teams covered in Kyler's piece, check out our Assessing Stocks series, which, coincidentally, has covered the same ten clubs.

Atlantic Notes: Iguodala, Celtics, Raptors

February 24th, 2012 at 11:49am CST by Luke Adams

Here are a few Friday items out of the Atlantic Division, which was home to a Guiness World Record holder for less than an hour this morning….

The Sixers were discussing Andre Iguodala with several teams prior to last year's draft, but the team's new owner have nixed plans to trade him, says Bob Cooney of the Philadelphia Daily News.
Recent frontcourt injuries shouldn't prompt the Celtics to make a major splash, but they need to bring in a big man who can defend, rebound, and learn the system, writes Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe. Washburn names Earl Barron and Kyrylo Fesenko as two potential options for Boston.
After grading Raptors players on their first halves, Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun runs through what the future may hold for each player, at the trade deadline and beyond.

Thorn On Hawes, Iguodala, Luxury Tax

February 2nd, 2012 at 12:55pm CST by Luke Adams

SI.com conducted an interview with 76ers president Rod Thorn this week, touching on a number of trade-related topics. Here are some of the highlights:

Asked if the current Sixers could win a title with the current roster, Thorn replied, "That’s a leap for us right now…. I think we can compete with anybody, but we have to prove we can play at that level, with those really, really elite teams." The club certainly looked elite in last night's 16-point win over the Bulls.
The 76ers offered Spencer Hawes a multiyear deal in the offseason, but he decided to accept the team's qualifying offer instead, in an effort to improve his value this year.
Although he'd likely be willing listen to trade offers on anyone, Thorn hasn't actively pursued an Andre Iguodala deal for "a long time."
The Sixers would be willing to cross the luxury tax line, but wouldn't do so just to acquire an "OK player."