Getty Andre Iguodala of the Golden State Warriors.
The Golden State Warriors held a roster spot reserved last offseason for Andre Iguodala, and they may be waiting at least a little while longer for the 38-year-old to take the court again.
After deciding to return for his 19th NBA season, Iguodala has been working his way through an extended injury rehab for an ailing hip. Head coach Steve Kerr has stressed that the veteran wing is needed mostly for the final stretch and expected playoff run, but one insider shared more insight this week on exactly when Iguodala could take the court for the first time this season.
Warriors Not Pressing Iguodala
The Warriors were careful not to press Iguodala last summer as he pondered his future and decided whether to return for the title defense or ride off into the sunset. Kerr said frequently that Iguodala had all the time he needed to make his decision, and he ultimately waited until just before the start of training camp to announce his return to the team for one final NBA season.
With Iguodala nursing a hip injury, Kerr is still not pressing his return.
“We’re more interested in him being healthy in the second half of the season,” Kerr said earlier this month, via CBS Sports. “So we’re not going to throw him out there yet.”
“His presence is going to mean the world to us.”
Steve Kerr on Andre Iguodala’s impact this season ⬇️
Insider Tim Kawakami of The Athletic noted that the Warriors have not needed Iguodala yet, thanks in part to regular contributions from two-way players Anthony Lamb and Ty Jerome. But Kawakami said the veteran could need to accelerate his return timeline if the team is hit by injuries.
“It’s up to Iguodala who hasn’t given a timetable,” Kawakami tweeted of Iguodala’s return date. “GSWs haven’t had many injuries and are playing their 2-way guys, so there’s no roster crunch even with Wiseman in the G League and the 2 rookies not really playable. But if they get some injuries …”
Warriors Could Use Veteran Leadership
The Warriors have stumbled to start their title defense season, opening 14-14 with a 2-12 road record. Some of the struggles have come from the growing pains of younger players, who were pressed into bigger roles with the departure of veterans Otto Porter Jr., Gary Payton II, and Nemanja Bjelica last offseason. The Warriors planned for third-year center James Wiseman and 2021 lottery picks Moses Moody and Jonathan Kuminga to move up in the rotation, but all have struggled at times, with Wiseman being sent down to the G League for more seasoning.
One Western Conference executive told Heavy Sports insider Sean Deveney that the Warriors could look to sign another veteran to help fill out the roster, though it would be very expensive for them to fill the 15th and final roster spot and push even deeper into the luxury tax.
“But is there someone who makes sense? Would LaMarcus Aldridge, for one, make them much better?” the executive said. “He’d probably be the ideal guy with his skillset and experience. A guy like P.J. Dozier or Stanley Johnson if they want a defensive wing. And point guards, there are point guards if they wanted to take a chance, a Kemba Walker in a pinch. There’s guys out there. They just have to figure out what their red line is for pulling the trigger on one of those guys.”