I’ve heard a lot of chatter about keeping the Warriors’ “core four” together. Sure, that’s a priority. Kevin Durant, Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green make this team a perennial contender no matter what players you put around them. The Warriors will make sure they stick around for several years.
But remember this, as we approach NBA free agency and then the 4th of July, we also approach the one-year anniversary of Kevin Durant’s decision to move to the Bay Area. That was accomplished after a meeting in The Hamptons with Curry, Klay, Draymond … and Andre Iguodala.
The Hamptons 5 then dominated the league. That includes Iguodala, who takes on the opponent’s biggest scoring threats, and serves as another playmaker who can also drain a 3. He still has something left in the tank. Don’t believe me? Believe the several teams that will be sending offers his way as NBA free agency begins this weekend.
I think the Warriors must do every thing they can to keep Iguodala. First, because of his importance to the team. Second, because the strategy of other presumptive contenders is to chip away at the Warriors any way they can. Losing Iguodala would accomplish that, and make it more difficult for the Warriors to repeat.
Don’t get me wrong. They’d still be favorites, but losing Iguodala would hurt, maybe a lot next season.
Think about Game 5 of the Finals. He was brilliant, and helped turn around the game at a time when fans were getting nervous as the Cavaliers took an early lead. He shows up at big moments, and more such moments await this team. Plus, he can be an excellent mentor for young players like Patrick McCaw.
Can Iguodala bring it every single night? No. Does he run a greater risk of injury the older he gets? Yes. Does a team have to manage his minutes? Yes. Can it pay off handsomely in the postseason? Correctomundo, and that’s what it’s about for the Warriors.
How long can it pay off with a player who will be 33 next season? Good question. ( Now I sound like the Magic 8-ball. “It depends.” Just shut up and give me a straight answer, stupid 8-ball.) He would be 36 at the end of a three-year deal. He’s an incredible athlete but there’s a big risk he won’t be nearly worth the money at the end of the deal.
There’s also the concern about going well over the salary cap and incurring not just a luxury tax, but a repeat luxury tax, which can be triple or quadruple the salary, tens of millions of dollars. Joe Lacob and Peter Guber have made an ocean liner full of money but that kind of scratch still hurts.
It would be easier if Iguodala would accept a two-year deal at a big raise, and make it easier for the Warriors to re-up Klay Thompson and then Draymond Green in a few years. Klay and Draymond wouldn’t ask Andre to do that, just like he wouldn’t ask Steph and KD to further sacrifice their salaries to make his deal fit. They also know Iguodala has sacrificed to fit the team concept.
Shams Charania of “The Vertical” reported that the Warriors are concerned about the future luxury tax with a deal for Andre, and that Iguodala will entertain offers from multiple teams. The Timberwolves and Spurs are among those teams, and that’s a scary prospect.
We know how this game is played. Iguodala’s camp doesn’t mind that the stories are out there, and the Warriors communicate their side.
Iguodala may really want to return, but it’s well within his rights to apply needed pressure on the Warriors to show him a little more love.
How much? Chris Haynes of ESPN told John Lund and Kevin Frandsen on KNBR yesterday that it might be around 16 to 17 million dollars a year, probably for three years. That third year is thought to be critical for Iguodala, but if someone drops in with two years and 40, would he seriously consider that? I doubt it.
The Warriors own his Bird Rights, so if they really want him back they can be somewhat creative and make it happen. Is he worth paying a certain amount of luxury tax? I think so, and I believe the Warriors think so, up to a certain number.
I know some fans are thinking about the old Bill Walsh credo: get rid of a player a year too early, not a year late. I think some players at 32 are OLD. Others are still getting it done, like LeBron James. I think Andre can still be a significant contributor, but beyond that, his departure takes away a big part of what has made the Warriors special.
Anyone who has watched VH1’s “Behind The Music” knows that great bands reach a peak and almost inevitably break up. Usually it’s somebody’s ego or somebody’s drug habit. Those aren’t problems here. Keep the band together, and keep making beautiful music for at least a couple more years.