Andre Iguodala Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Warriors Notes: Atkinson, DiVincenzo, Kuminga, Iguodala

October 28th, 2022 at 3:54pm CST by Luke Adams

Kenny Atkinson agreed to become the Hornets’ head coach in June before backing out of that agreement and remaining with the Warriors as an assistant coach. Speaking to Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area, Atkinson admitted he “didn’t love how it went down,” but feels very strongly that he made the right decision for him and his family.

“This isn’t my first rodeo; I’ve had a lot of experience in this league,” Atkinson said. “But from a leadership standpoint, top to bottom, plus 1-through-15, we have a great group. Usually, there’s something that doesn’t work. Something staff-wise that’s not always perfect. But this is kind of perfect.

“Well, nothing’s perfect, but this is as close to perfect as you can get. I’m not just saying that to blow smoke. Everything kind of comes together here, from a staff and front-office leadership standpoint. It’s all impressive. And probably the most important thing, it’s led by Steph (Curry).”

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Donte DiVincenzo, who continues to deal with a hamstring injury, is “unlikely” to play during the Warriors’ upcoming five-game road trip, head coach Steve Kerr said on Thursday (Twitter link via Anthony Slater of The Athletic). If he’s ruled out for that trip, the earliest possible return date for DiVincenzo would be November 7, against his old team, the Kings.
After playing between seven and 15 minutes in each of Golden State’s first four games, Jonathan Kuminga was a DNP-CD on Thursday vs. Miami. Kerr said after the game that it’s difficult to play more than 10 players a night, but he believes that “Jonathan’s time will come” and that the young forward is continuing to develop and grow even without consistent playing time (Twitter video link via Slater).
Speaking on Thursday to reporters, including ESPN’s Kendra Andrews (Twitter link), Andre Iguodala said that he and the Warriors have a target date in mind for him to make his season debut, but he doesn’t want to disclose it yet. Iguodala has yet to scrimmage with the team, but thinks he’s getting close to doing so.

Warriors Rumors: Poole, Green, Klay, Wiggins, Moody, More

October 14th, 2022 at 7:42am CST by Luke Adams

If the Warriors want to sign Jordan Poole to a rookie scale extension before the October 17 deadline, it will likely require a baseline offer of $120MM over four years, according to Anthony Slater of The Athletic, who said during an appearance on the HoopsHype podcast that Tyler Herro‘s deal with Miami raised the bar for Golden State and Poole.

Slater, who believes the two sides will get something done in the coming days, suggests that the incident with Draymond Green last week might’ve create some additional urgency on the Warriors’ side, since they won’t want Poole’s contract situation hanging over his head all year after what happened with Green.

Slater also observes that there are some teams who project to have cap room next year that could realistically offer Poole a maximum-salary offer sheet. In Slater’s view, the Magic and Spurs are among the rebuilding teams who could use a backcourt scorer like Poole and would have the financial flexibility to make life difficult for the Warriors if the 23-year-old makes it to restricted free agency.

Here’s more out of Golden State:

The Warriors appear to be in “wait-and-see” mode on potential extensions for Green and Klay Thompson, says Slater. There’s no real urgency on the Thompson front because he’s under contract for two more guaranteed seasons. Green can become a free agent next summer, but the Warriors will likely want to see how this season plays out to get a sense of how he regains the team’s trust, what his market will be like, and whether he’ll be able to top his $27.6MM player option.
Andrew Wiggins is also extension-eligible, and Slater believes the Warriors would be interested in exploring a new deal if the former No. 1 pick is willing to take a slight pay cut (perhaps from his current $33.6MM into the 20s). But it’s unclear whether Wiggins would consider that as he comes off his best NBA season.
Slater believes Moses Moody is a better bet than Jonathan Kuminga or Patrick Baldwin Jr. to step into a rotation role immediately this season, since he’s a good fit for a three-and-D spot. While the Warriors like Baldwin’s long-term potential, Slater expects him to spend a lot of time in the G League as a rookie.
The Warriors allowed their veterans to take on a major role in the handling of the Green/Poole altercation last week, according to Slater, who points to Stephen Curry, Kevon Looney, and Andre Iguodala as players who were very involved. “The players are of the belief that it’s better for the team to bring Draymond back in now,” Slater said.

Warriors Notes: Green, Poole, Looney, Iguodala, Wiseman

October 13th, 2022 at 2:27pm CST by Luke Adams

It feels like “the clock is ticking down” on the relationship between the Warriors and Draymond Green, according to Tim Kawakami of The Athletic, who likens the situation to the start of the “accommodation stage in a turbulent but prosperous marriage,” with the strains becoming increasingly visible.

In Kawakami’s view, it seems safe to assume that Green’s future with the Warriors beyond the 2022/23 season is very much up in the air, since team executives already weren’t 100% sure about a lucrative new commitment to Green even before he punched teammate Jordan Poole in a practice last week.

Both sides need one another for now, since the Warriors probably can’t realistically win another title this season without Green, but the latest misstep by the former Defensive Player of the Year is a sign that a divorce is probably coming at some point, Kawakami writes.

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The Warriors may have been more inclined to suspend Draymond Green for his actions if they weren’t receiving their championship rings on opening night of the regular season, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski stated during a TV appearance (video link via ClutchPoints). “If this incident had landed in the middle of the regular season, there’d probably be a suspension. If the Warriors weren’t defending champions and were just playing an ordinary opening night, there might very well be a suspension,” Wojnarowski said. “Golden State did not want to punish Draymond Green in a way where he’d miss opening night where he’d get his fourth ring with the Warriors.”
Jordan Poole is the only reason the Warriors’ championship defense isn’t “in tatters,” according to Sam Amick of The Athletic, who lauds the fourth-year guard for the role he has played in the team’s efforts to mend fences.
Head coach Steve Kerr praised Kevon Looney, whom he called the team’s “moral compass” – for the role he played in helping the Warriors navigate the Green incident. “He’s a special human being. Special,” Kerr said, per Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic. “And he was a key instrument in everything that we’ve had going the last week to try to get things back on track.”
Andre Iguodala still hadn’t scrimmaged as of Tuesday night and won’t be active when the Warriors begin their season next week vs. the Lakers, according to Kerr (Twitter link via Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area).
It has been 18 months since James Wiseman, who suffered a meniscus tear in April 2021, last played in a regular season NBA game. Kendra Andrews of ESPN takes a look at how Wiseman pushed through that long, challenging rehab process – which included multiple setbacks – to get back on the court this fall.

Warriors Notes: Green, Poole, Curry, Iguodala

October 7th, 2022 at 3:52pm CST by Luke Adams

Warriors president of basketball operations Bob Myers spoke earlier this year about being able to move past Draymond Green‘s on- and off-court missteps because of the “built-up equity” that Green and the Warriors have established in their relationship over the years, but that equity took a major hit this week, according to Sam Amick of The Athletic, who says Green has to earn back to the trust and respect of his teammates after punching Jordan Poole during a practice.

As Amick writes, the consensus within the Warriors’ organization is that Green’s decision to swing at Poole was “wildly unjustified.”

As the Warriors carefully deliberate their next steps with Green, the team is also taking “every legal course of action” to investigate how video of the incident was made public on Friday, per Ramona Shelburne and Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

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The Warriors will face more intense scrutiny now that video of the altercation has leaked and Stephen Curry‘s leadership will be put to the ultimate test, Marcus Thompson II writes for The Athletic. Sources tell Thompson that Curry spoke to the team after Wednesday’s practice and has been in frequent communication with Myers and head coach Steve Kerr about how to handle the situation.
The fact that Poole and Green are both entering contract years further complicates how the Warriors might move forward following this week’s incident. Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report spoke to multiple scouts and executives to get a sense of how comfortable they’d be signing Poole and/or Green to contract extensions.
It doesn’t sound like Andre Iguodala will see any action during the preseason, according to Anthony Slater of The Athletic, who tweets that Golden State is slowly working the veteran wing back into game condition. It’s also doubtful Iguodala will play much early in the regular season, Slater adds, since the team wants to manage his usage to make sure he can contribute down the stretch and in the playoffs.

Warriors Notes: DiVincenzo, Poole, Iguodala, Baldwin

October 5th, 2022 at 3:03pm CST by Luke Adams

Although he was prepared to be on the move at the 2022 trade deadline, Donte DiVincenzo was surprised when he found out he was headed from Milwaukee to Sacramento, telling Anthony Slater of The Athletic that he thought he’d end up with the Celtics in a trade involving Dennis Schröder.

“I don’t know what happened. Somebody might’ve wanted too much,” DiVincenzo said. “But that was my impression, that I was going to Boston. The Sacramento one came out of nowhere.”

Since he was eligible for restricted free agency over the summer, DiVincenzo was fully prepared to remain with the Kings and was once again caught off guard when Sacramento opted not to give him a qualifying offer. DiVincenzo said he had “mixed emotions” about the chance to become an unrestricted free agent.

“I can pick where I want to go, but then you have the other side, like, ‘Damn, they didn’t want me? Do they still want me? Are they trying to do something with a cap hold or whatever?’” DiVincenzo said. “I didn’t understand all that stuff. But my mind was just open, spinning, hectic for a couple days.”

The former Villanova standout ultimately landed in Golden State on a two-year deal that includes a second-year player option, and he’s enjoying the Warriors experience so far, telling Slater that he has been especially impressed by the team’s communication on defense.

“Draymond (Green) is contagious. He’s the engine on defense. He calls out everything,” DiVincenzo said. “Once he does that, you hear (Kevon Looney), you hear (Andrew Wiggins), you hear Steph (Curry), you hear everyone talking. Last night, when I was playing with the younger guys, I felt like if I lock in and communicate on defense, it’ll be contagious to them. That’s fun. Dudes want to do things that normally guys don’t like doing in the NBA.”

Here’s more on the Warriors:

Tyler Herro‘s four-year, $120MM deal with Miami will likely change the way extension negotiations play out between the Warriors and Jordan Poole, Slater writes for The Athletic. While the two sides would like to reach an agreement on a new deal, the floor for Poole is probably higher now than it would’ve been when contracts like Anfernee Simons‘ ($100MM) and RJ Barrett‘s ($107MM) were the primary reference points.
After picking the Warriors to win just 39 games last season, John Hollinger of The Athletic admits he may not have a great feel for the team, but he projects the Dubs to go 53-29 in 2022/23 and views them as a “slight favorite” to return to the NBA Finals.
Having Andre Iguodala back for one more season may have a positive impact on the Warriors’ future, according to Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic, who notes that getting guidance and feedback from Iguodala for another year could benefit the club’s young prospects in the long run.
Could forward Patrick Baldwin Jr. enter the Warriors’ rotation as a rookie? Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area explores that possibility, noting that Baldwin’s teammates and coaches like what they’ve seen from him so far.
In case you missed it, the Warriors increased their preseason roster count back to the maximum of 20 earlier today by officially signing Anthony Lamb.

Andre Iguodala Returns To Warriors For One More Season

September 26th, 2022 at 3:23pm CST by Arthur Hill

SEPTEMBER 26: The Warriors have officially re-signed Iguodala, the team announced today in a press release.

SEPTEMBER 23: Andre Iguodala will play his 19th and final NBA season with the Warriors, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic. Iguodala made the announcement on his Point Forward podcast (video link).

Golden State had been keeping a roster spot open in hopes that Iguodala would return. His decision gives the team a full complement of 20 players heading into camp.

Iguodala played an important role in the Warriors’ ascension into title contenders in the latter part of the last decade. He was traded in 2019 to help clear salary, but he returned to the team as a free agent last summer after spending two seasons with Miami.

Iguodala, who remains one of Golden State’s most reliable perimeter defenders, appeared in 31 games last season, averaging 4.0 points, 3.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists in 19.5 minutes per night. He saw only minimal playing time in seven postseason games during the Warriors’ title run.

The Warriors will presumably sign Iguodala to a guaranteed minimum-salary contract. Such a deal would make him the 14th Golden State player with a guaranteed salary for the 2022/23 season.

The team could carry one more player when the regular season begins, but may opt to keep that 15th spot open to maintain flexibility and avoid pushing its record-setting luxury tax bill any higher.

Warriors Notes: Wiseman, Looney, Green, Iguodala, DiVincenzo

September 24th, 2022 at 10:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Warriors‘ first practice of the season was a valuable learning experience for James Wiseman, writes Anthony Slater of The Athletic. Wiseman closed today’s session by working one-on-one with starting center Kevon Looney while big man coach Dejan Milojević looked on. Wiseman could only watch last season while recovering from a knee injury, so just being on the court is an important step forward.

“Watching Loon the last couple years has helped James,” head coach Steve Kerr said. “But now playing against him, he’ll be able to see and feel those tricks of the trade Loon is so good with — flipping the screen, catching the ball in the pocket, (dribble handoffs), all those things.”

Wiseman enters his third NBA season as the primary backup for Looney and may even start a few games when Looney rests. Looney played every regular season and playoff game last year, and the team doesn’t want to put that kind of strain on him again.

“I definitely want to play 82 again,” Looney said. “But I’m not going to compromise myself to do it. If I feel like I don’t look good or the training staff thinks I’m not moving as well or something is nagging me, I’ll take the break. But if I’m healthy, I’m going to play. I’m not going to sit because it’s a back-to-back just cause. I’m 26. I feel good. I missed a lot of years, so I have some games to make up.”

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Kerr was encouraged by Draymond Green‘s performance in today’s practice session, Slater states in the same piece. Green came to training camp straight from the Olympics last year, but there were concerns he wouldn’t be as sharp without an offseason competition to push him. “His conditioning looked good, his body looked good,” Kerr said. “He was really moving well both laterally and sprint speed up and down the floor. He was mentoring the young guys, coaching them up in drill work. Then on the floor, the blue team — with Looney, (Stephen Curry), (Andrew Wiggins) — that group just demolished everybody.”
The only player not at today’s practice was Andre Iguodala, who announced Friday that he will play one more year, Slater adds. Iguodala will report to practice Monday and will accompany the team on its trip to Japan. “He was planning on retirement,” Kerr explained. “This was sort of a last-minute decision for him. We gave him the freedom to do the things he already had scheduled. … His presence is going to mean the world to us. We have so many young guys. The more mentoring and coaching from within, the better.”
The Warriors’ history of success played a big role in attracting free agent Donte DiVincenzo, tweets NBA journalist Mark Haynes. “I wanted to get back to that winning culture,” DiVincenzo said. “The joy of playing simple winning basketball. I think I thrive in that.”

Warriors Notes: Kerr, Kuminga, Iguodala, Roster Questions, J. Green

September 23rd, 2022 at 9:42pm CST by Rory Maher

Speaking to Tim Kawakami of The Athletic on his podcast earlier this week, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr noted that Golden State is in a unique position as a title-defending team that has question marks in the rotation beyond its top six players (Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins, Draymond Green, Kevon Looney and Jordan Poole). He said he’s looking forward to players having to earn their minutes.

“The beauty of it is everything has to be earned,” Kerr said on Wednesday. “I talk about how unique each season is — that’s what makes this season unique. The first three times we came back from winning championships, the rotations were really set. We had a deep roster, we had veteran rosters, we kind of knew exactly who was going to play and what combinations would form.

“This is very different. It’s rare, I think, for a championship team to come back with a lot of young talent that has a chance to compete for playing time. I like that dynamic. I think competition is good. It brings the best out of everybody. I don’t even really have a rotation. I just look at it as we’ve got six guys who played integral roles in us winning the title. We know who they are. We know what they do. And then everybody else is ‘go’ time. It’s right there for you; you’ve just gotta go earn it.”

Kerr also touched on several other topics with Kawakami, including Jonathan Kuminga, James Wiseman, rookies Ryan Rollins and Patrick Baldwin Jr., tweaks to the coaching staff, and more. Regarding Kuminga, Kerr said the organization is pleased with his progress entering year two.

“JK’s had a really good summer, he’s done everything we’ve asked of him. He’s traveled some, he played for his national team this summer. He’s been working really hard,” Kerr said. “I know there was that weird report that came out, I think Stephen A. Smith said something about JK. And honestly, Bob (Myers) and I, when that came out, we called each other and asked, ‘Where did that come from?’ Because it made no sense. JK’s been great, he’s done everything we’ve asked of him. He’s working hard. I enjoy coaching him. He’s right where he needs to be, and just gotta keep getting better every day.”

Here’s more on the Warriors:

Anthony Slater of The Athletic explores what Andre Iguodala‘s return means for the Warriors. Iguodala announced he was returning for his 19th and final season earlier today. In addition to being a locker room mentor for young players like Poole, Kuminga and Moses Moody, Iguodala also showed that he can still provide a lot of on-court value, even his minutes were limited due to nagging injuries. As Slater notes, Golden State was plus-114 in Iguodala’s 603 minutes last season.
In a separate story for The Athletic, Slater poses four roster questions entering training camp, including how Wiseman and Kuminga will work together. While both Wiseman and Kuminga have tantalizing potential, spacing might be an issue when they share the court, Slater writes.
If free agent addition JaMychal Green can fill the void left by Otto Porter Jr.‘s departure, that would be ideal for the Warriors, according to Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area, who breaks down what fans can expect from JaMychal in 2022/23.

Pacific Notes: Iguodala, Schröder, Westbrook, Sarver

September 18th, 2022 at 2:45pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Warriors anticipate that longtime veteran leader Andre Iguodala will announce his return to the club, writes Marc Stein on Substack. Iguodala has previously suggested he will publicly reveal his decision during an upcoming episode of his podcast Point Forward, co-hosted by his former Sixers teammate Evan Turner.

Stein reports that Golden State expects Iguodala, who has won four titles with the team, will be back for his 19th NBA season in 2022/23 rather than opting to retire, but is prepared for either outcome. The Warriors top off their 2022 training camp earlier than most other teams, as they will be playing exhibition games abroad.

There’s more out of the Pacific Division:

Elsewhere in his latest Substack piece, Stein suggests that the Lakers consider Russell Westbrook and new addition Dennis Schröder to be their top two point guards. Sources inform Stein that the Lakers see the 6’1″ Patrick Beverley, who started as a point guard alongside shooting guard D’Angelo Russell last season with the Timberwolves, as a swingman who can defend and shoot from long range, rather than a point guard, heading into his 11th NBA season. Stein writes that L.A. intends to use Kendrick Nunn, Austin Reaves, and Lonnie Walker at the shooting guard or small forward position instead of point guard.
Earlier today, Schröder led his native Germany to a win over Poland to secure a bronze medal in this year’s EuroBasket contest, per Eurohoops. The 6’3″ Lakers point guard scored 26 points on 7-of-10 shooting. “That was the goal of the federation, of coach Herbert and for the team and it’s an unbelievable feeling to win a medal in a Eurobasket,” Schröder said after the game. Schröder’s performance in tournament play this summer reportedly helped his cause in free agency.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver seemed uncomfortable at being forced to defend the misbehavior of temporarily suspended Suns team owner Robert Sarver in a Wednesday press conference, writes Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe. Sarver has been banned from having any role with either Phoenix basketball club he owns, the Suns or the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury, for the 2022/23 season.

Warriors Notes: Thompson, Iguodala, Green

September 15th, 2022 at 11:33pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Warriors shooting guard Klay Thompson is hoping to get back to his previous All-Star-caliber output during the 2022/23 season, writes Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area.

Poole cautions that Thompson may no longer be quite as versatile on defense as he was through 2019, and may see fewer minutes guarding smaller perimeter players. However, Poole notes that the wing’s two-and-a-half seasons spent rehabilitating from major injuries have helped him flesh out his well-rounded offensive game even further than before. Poole also anticipates that Thompson could see his minutes reduced during the regular season, with the ultimate goal being the preservation of his body for a run at a fifth NBA title.

In his 32 healthy regular season games last year, all starts, Thompson still put up solid numbers for the eventual 2022 champs. He averaged 20.4 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 2.8 APG, posting .429/.385/.902 shooting splits.

There’s more out of Golden State:

The Warriors continue to keep a rotation spot open for reserve wing Andre Iguodala heading into the 2022/23 season, which would be the swingman’s 19th in the league. Anthony Slater of The Athletic explains that the 2015 Finals MVP has developed into one of the most trusted voices in the locker room for Golden State, even as his on-court contributions have become significantly more limited. The 38-year-old has said that he will announce his eventual decision regarding his future on his podcast.
During a potential contract year, All-Star Warriors power forward Draymond Green is looking to stay healthier than he did in the team’s title-winning 2021/22 season, when he looked like a Defensive Player of the Year candidate ahead of a midseason back injury that shelved him for two months, writes Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area.
In case you missed it, team president Bob Myers appeared on the TK Show with Tim Kawakami this week to discuss the team’s historic payroll, his expectations for Iguodala’s future, Golden State’s impending decision on its team option for oft-injured center James Wiseman‘s fourth season, and more. We have the highlights here.