Warriors to re-sign Andre Iguodala.
Andre Iguodala has long been skeptical of media. Saturday night, after agreeing to re-sign with the Warriors, the 33-year-old swingman broke the news himself.
“Sources close to Andre Iguodala reporting agreed to terms to return to the bay .... ,” Iguodala tweeted.
Though the terms of the deal haven’t been announced, reports indicate that it is for three years and roughly $48 million, guaranteed. Golden State, which met with Iguodala in Los Angeles on Saturday, reportedly upped its offer from three years, $45 million to close the deal.
Iguodala chose the Warriors over multiyear offers from the Rockets, Spurs and Kings. That
the three years on Golden State’s offer are guaranteed was big given that the Warriors had initially wanted to sign him to a two-year deal, which would have ensured money is available when Klay Thompson’s contract ends in 2019.
A budding entrepreneur, Iguodala spent much of the first day of free agency putting pressure on Golden State to improve its offer. He reportedly met with San Antonio after reaching out to the Spurs, Houston, Sacramento and the Lakers. According to ESPN’s site the Undefeated, the meeting with the Rockets was “excellent.”
To offer him a competitive deal, Houston would likely have needed to free up salary, and it appears unlikely that Iguodala landed the big offer ($20 million per year) he sought. Entering his 14th season in the league, this could be his last chance for a lucrative NBA contract.
Re-signing Iguodala was the most pressing question facing the Warriors. They had already agreed to bring back Stephen Curry on a record-setting five-year, $201 million deal, Shaun Livingston on a threeyear, $24 million contract and David West on a one-year deal for the veteran minimum of $2.3 million.
To ensure Golden State had flexibility in negotiations with Iguodala, Kevin Durant is waiting to re-sign with the team. Reports surfaced as early as Friday night that, had they not been able to bring back Iguodala, the Warriors may have targeted Rudy Gay. In 30 games with Sacramento last season, Gay averaged 18.7 points and 6.3 rebounds before tearing his right Achilles tendon in January.
The leader of Golden State’s second unit the past three seasons, Iguodala is a savvy facilitator and a defensive stopper. Iguodala’s plus-minus average of 6.9 topped NBA reserves who
played at least 50 games.
With 261 assists, 76 steals and 58 turnovers, he finished the regular season No. 1 in the NBA in assists per turnover (4.5 to 1) and No. 7 among players who played at least 70 games in steals per turnover (1.31 to 1). Iguodala, who was a finalist for Sixth Man of the Year, had 20 points on 9-of-14 shooting in Golden State’s championship-clinching Game 5 win.
As of Saturday night, the Warriors had 10 players secured for next season: Iguodala, Curry, Livingston, West, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, Patrick McCaw, Damian Jones, Kevon Looney and rookie Jordan Bell. In addition to Durant, Zaza Pachulia, Ian Clark, JaVale McGee, Matt Barnes and James Michael McAdoo are still free agents.
Golden State will have to pay luxury taxes next season, which start when a team’s payroll reaches $119 million. It is worth it to a Warriors ownership group intent on competing for a championship for years to come.
Twenty-four hours into free agency, Golden State has accomplished its primary objective: keep its core together.