Iguodala’s return to Warriors about more than his play
As Warriors general manager Bob Myers tried to make the best of a bad situation in June 2019, he came to a sobering realization: There was no way he could keep one of the most important players in franchise history.
Instead of letting Kevin Durant leave for nothing, Myers orchestrated a signandtrade with Brooklyn that would bring combo guard D’Angelo Russell — the top restricted free agent on the market — to Golden State. But to make the numbers work, the Warriors needed to trade forward Andre Iguodala and what was left of his threeyear, $48 million contract to the Grizzlies with a future firstround draft pick.
It was quite an emotional blow for a fran
chise that prizes personal relationships as much as any organization in professional sports. In his six seasons with the Warriors, Iguodala had come to embody the principles that Bay Area residents value most: ingenuity, intelligence, selfpreservation, work ethic. That’s why so many throughout the region rejoiced when news broke Friday morning that he was returning to Golden State on a oneyear, veteranminimum deal.
Though Iguodala’s understanding of the system and chemistry with the team’s core players should help the Warriors win games next season, Myers recognizes that this move was about far more than basketball. Golden State, which has missed the playoffs in backtoback years since Iguodala’s departure, needs to feel good about itself again. By bringing back someone who was a driving force during the team’s dynasty, the Warriors get a muchneeded jolt of nostalgia.
Iguodala’spresence conjures memories of the days when Finals appearances were an annual occurrence and championships were the expectation, not just the goal. It eases the sting of all that has unfolded over the past twoplus years: the devastating injuries to Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, the mounting losses, the realization that even the best of intentions can’t preserve a basketball utopia.
And perhaps just as importantly, the Iguodala reunion allows both parties to part on their own terms. What made Iguodala’s salary dump to Memphis so difficult to stomach was that he and the Warriors weren’t ready for it. Iguodala might not occupy the same rung in franchise lore as Curry, Thompson or Draymond Green, but he had done enough to end his career in a Golden State uniform.
His willingness to accept a bench role after 758 consecutive games as an NBA starter was a key reason the Warriors blossomed into the league’s most exciting team. Then, after replacing Andrew Bogut in the starting lineup for the final three games of the 2015 Finals, Iguodala did the near impossible — he made LeBron James look human — on his way to Finals MVP honors.
Though not one for gaudy stat lines, Iguodala consistently ranked among the league leaders in plusminus. His savvy, teamoriented style made him a stabilizing force.
Whenever the Warriors were veering from their movementheavy blueprint, head coach Steve Kerr knew he could plug in Iguodala and watch his team rediscover its ethos.
When Iguodala was dealt to the Grizzlies, the team lost a part of its identity. Without him, the Warriors felt likely a completely new team.
But no address change can quash the bond Iguodala built with fans, executives, players and support staffers.
Over the past 25 months, as he forced his way out of Memphis without playing a game for the Grizzlies and adjusted to the Heat’s more regimented culture, Iguodala texted Curry about golf, offered Myers book recommendations, complimented Green on his weight loss and ribbed Thompson for, well, being Thompson. When Iguodala announced his return to the Warriors in a New York Times story published Friday morning, he made sure to shout out the team’s director of operations, Eric Housen, and assistant video coordinator Jacob Rubin.
A source close to Iguodala told The Chronicle that Iguodala would’ve been at peace with retiring this summer. But when the Warriors called this week and offered him one last season with the franchise that has come to feel like family, he couldn’t resist a chance at a storybook ending.
“Who would have thought I’d have the opportunity to go back to the place where I was able to have, whatever you want to call it, legacy years, in terms of the accomplishments, winning multiple championships, the relationships that I was able to build with some of my closest friends and teammates?” Iguodala told the Times. “The relationship with the fans, the relationship with the Bay, the opportunity to end it here, was just something special.”
Iguodala is hardly the same player who helped the Warriors to five straight Finals. At 37, he throws down fewer dunks and struggles defending elite wings. Iguodala’s 38.3% clip from the field last season was a career worst.
But a friend doesn’t stop appreciating a longtime buddy just because that buddy is getting older. The Warriors believe Iguodala can be an asset by filling in as a secondary ballhandler, providing flexibility with lineups and mentoring younger players.
Curry, Green and Thompson are ideal role models for Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody and James Wiseman, but they’ll have plenty of oncourt responsibilities to keep them busy. Iguodala, who figures to log 10 to 15 minutes a night in a bench role, should have more time to school youngsters on all that goes into succeeding in the Warriors’ system.
Then, once he plays his last game, he can return to Chase Center for his jersey retirement ceremony knowing he went out the way he wanted.