There have been some people who have accused Golden State of “overpaying” Andre Iguodala this season. After clinching Game 2 with his last-second triple last Sunday, the Warriors have to think he’s well worth the money.
The 34-year old is nearing the end of the second season of his 3-year, $48 million contract. He earned $16 million this past season while averaging just 5.7 points and 3.7 rebounds. If he decides to return next season, the 6-foot-6 forward will receive $17,185,185 before hitting the 2020 free agent market.
If that little production has you thinking Iguodala is seeing too much money, he doesn’t care.
“Years ago, I was talking to a friend,” Iguodala told Anthony Slater of The Athletic. “He was on Twitter, talking about overpaid. I was explaining to him that there’s no such thing as being overpaid. I don’t care who you are. I’m talking about any of the bad contracts in league history. Your market is your market.”
Part of his dismissal of this negativity is that he is a potentiall Hall of Fame player that could be close to retirement.
Andre Iguodala Retirement Timeline & Hall of Fame Status
Iguodala knows that his career is close to over. He talked to NBC Sports Bay Area about his future beyond the 2019 season. While he stated he felt like he had five more years in him, he has put a particular emphasis on how Golden State finishes these NBA Finals.
“If I’m not (in Golden State), that will weigh heavily on what I do,” he said. “I possibly have another year here if we win. That’s it. I know that and I’m fine with it.”
That seems to indicate that the 2015 Finals MVP would hang up his sneakers if the Warriors bow out to the Raptors in this series. If that’s the case, he’s made the case to be a Hall of Famer, says Zack Rosenblatt of NJ.com.
First, for much of his career, Iguodala was an All-Star-caliber player who got his first selection after 3-4 seasons where he deserved to make the game. In the first eight years of his career (all with the Sixers), Iguodala averaged 15.3 points, 5.8 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 1.7 steals per game.
Once he got to the Warriors in 2013, he committed to a full-time role as a sixth man and role player where he could’ve padded his resume some more elsewhere.
He cites former Celtics Hall of Famer K.C. Jones as a comparison point. While Jones won eight titles with Boston, Iguodala has won three of his own, plus more All-Star games, more Finals MVP’s and more Olympic Gold Medals.
His head coach Steve Kerr, who played with several Hall of Famers as a Chicago Bull, thinks his sixth man should make the cut.
“I think he’s a Hall of Famer,” Kerr said. “To me, he’s on par with Scottie Pippen as a defender. Unbelievably smart. He understands the game as well as anyone I’ve been around — Scottie included.
“It depends on your version of the Hall — if it’s based on stats, maybe not,” the Golden State Warriors coach continued. “If it’s based on champions and winners and brilliant basketball minds and impact on the game and impact on championship teams … he’s a Hall of Famer.”
How’s that for a professional opinion?
Comments
Andre Iguodala Contract: How Much Does Warriors Forward Make?