OAKLAND — Since Kevin Durant injured his leg on Feb. 28, nobody has proved their worth more than Andre Iguodala.
And the scary part is that this could be Iguodala’s final season in the Bay Area.
The free agent to be is playing some of his best basketball since joining the Warriors in 2013. Golden State’s nine-game winning streak has been fueled by Iguodala’s renewed aggressive approach on offense. His 11.8 points per game in March and his 60.6 field goal percentages are both by far his best monthly totals of the season.
“I’m a free agent so, show that it’s there a little bit,” Iguodala said half-jokingly after dropping 24 points on the Hawks March 6.
His fresh legs don’t necessarily indicate it, but Iguodala turned 33 years old in January, meaning his last big NBA contract will be doled out this offseason. Iguodala has long talked about his dream of becoming an entrepreneur. He wants to get paid. He deserves to get paid.
If he keeps sizzling like this, and plays an integral part in bringing down LeBron James for a second time in three years, there will be NBA teams willing throw gobs of cash at Iguodala.
The Warriors obviously don’t want to lose Iguodala — Steve Kerr would be sick to his stomach. They just might not be able to afford him.
When Kevin Durant signs his expected $27.1 million player option for 2017-18, the negotiating will turn to Steph Curry, who is reportedly set to make $200 million. After years of being underpaid, it’s extremely unlikely Curry is willing to take on a lesser salary to ensure Iguodala stays with the Warriors. He’s already sacrificing MVP trophies for Durant. Asking him to take less money is completely unfair.
Iguodala is making $11.1 million this season. Because of the influx in TV revenue last offseason, $11.1 million per year isn’t very much for one of the most dynamic sixth-men in the league. Iguodala is currently the 85th highest-paid NBA player for 2016-17. Jeremy Lin, Marvin Williams, Miles Plumlee, John Henson, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Timofey Mozgov, Ian Mahinmi and Kent Bazemore are all making more dough than Iguodala. The businessman in Iguodala knows he’s not getting a fair shake.
Even if they can somehow reach a number that’ll satisfy Iguodala — and by all accounts, it would have to be less than the $11.1 million he’s making this year — the Warriors have a couple things to weigh. First, can they realistically expect him to play at this high of a level on a three-year deal? A 36-year-old Iguodala still has an important place in the NBA, but besides what’s going on with Tom Brady, father time is undefeated. The days of asking him to be Mr. Everything off the bench will slowly dwindle before that contract expires. His salary figure probably is going to outweigh his role — on a team that’ll see Durant, Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green turn 30 years old. Whatever the deal ends up being, it would be all about the next two seasons. That’s probably a smart strategy to take. Golden State’s championship window won’t be wide open forever.
The other issue is that Iguodala and Curry are two of nine players coming off the books. Is JaVale McGee going to command more money after resurrecting his career? Are David West and Zaza Pachulia still willing to be criminally underpaid? Further, is Shaun Livingston willing to become one of those veterans minimum players to continue on this journey with the Dubs? There’s a bunch of moving parts president of basketball operations Bob Myers already needs to be planning for. The salary cap is actually expected to decrease this offseason, by $6 million — not good news for Myers. It’s too hard to even project contract figures at this time.
Realistically, any of the names above could walk away and Myers would be able find some type of solution to pair with four superstars. But not Iguodala. Kerr has compared him to Scottie Pippen. He’s called him irreplaceable on and off the court. It’s hard to disagree. This month of March has reaffirmed those feelings.
If Iguodala wasn’t playing this well, the Warriors would have more leverage at the negotiating table. They could convince him to ride off in the sunset and a potential Hall of Fame legacy instead of chasing a contract with the Miami Heat. But that’s not the case.
From Iguodala’s perspective, he will have already won a championship and maybe a second come June. For significantly more money, it would be hard to blame him for bolting somewhere like the Wizards who are missing that one veteran piece. It’s a players’ duty to cash in on their athletic abilities for as long as they can. That’s the name of the game.