Andre Iguodala’s status for the 2022-23 season is still uncertain.
Until he decides whether to return or not, the Warriors are holding their 14th roster spot for him, according to Anthony Slater of The Athletic. That nugget was featured in a long-form interview with Warriors head coach Steve Kerr, who said he is keeping his distance from Andre out of respect as the veteran makes his decision.
“I leave Andre alone,” Kerr told Anthony Slater of The Athletic on Monday. “He knows where we stand. If he wants to come back, we’d love to have him. The one thing we feel strongly about with Andre is we want to give him whatever space and time he needs to make a decision. I’m leaving him alone. Whenever he makes his decision is fine with us.”
Whatever his decision is, Iguodala has made it clear that he will only return as a player and not a coach as many have hypothesized. Ironically, Iguodala’s value these days as a player has as much to do with his contributions on the court as they do with his value as a mentor to many of the Warriors’ young players.
At 38 years old, Iguodala played in just 31 regular season games as he dealt with a neck issue and in just seven playoff games as he dealt with a knee issue last season.
Though he’s not what he once was, Iguodala is still smart and skilled enough to be welcome on the Warriors bench for as long as he wants.