Great news to start off a Friday.
After two years away, three-time NBA champion Andre Iguodala is returning to the Golden State Warriors on a minimum-deal. The forward made the announcement in an interview with the New York Times, where he says he wants to finish his career in Golden State.
“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 said, adding: “The relationship with the fans, the relationship with the Bay, the opportunity to end it here, was just something special.”
Iguodala, 37, is the third signing the Warriors have made since free agency began, also adding forwards Otto Porter Jr. and Nemanja Bjelica on minimum-deals. Including their draft picks, the Warriors now have eight forwards on guaranteed deals, many of which are versatile and can play multiple positions: Draymond Green, Andrew Wiggins, Porter, Bjelica, Iguodala, Juan Toscano-Anderson, Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody. The roster already appears much deeper than last season.
According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, Iguodala was choosing between the Warriors and joining his old teammate Kevin Durant in Brooklyn.
Since they have only signed players to minimum deals thus far, the Warriors still have the $5.9 million taxpayer mid-level exception that can offer a free agent if they choose to.
Iguodala, was a core member of Warriors teams that went to five straight NBA Finals, winning three. He won the NBA Finals MVP in 2015, and was one of the best defenders and playoff performers in the league during that stretch. Iguodala’s will likely still be a stabilizing bench presence in his role this time around, but should also provide mentorship for Golden State’s rookie wings.