The Golden State Warriors losing Bob Myers as the General Manager remains a tough subject that many fans are upset about. Current GM Mike Dunleavy has been criticized for causing a huge step down for the team. However, that doesn’t mean that life was easy for Myers as an NBA decision maker. The popular GM left the job to do broadcasting before he eventually joined the Philadelphia 76ers front office.
Myers listed an unexpected moment when revealing the toughest decision of his Golden State tenure:
“Trading Iguodala. We had to trade Iguodala, who had won three championships with the team, in 2019 to sign D’Angelo Russell. And the way he took it, the professionalism, made it—I can’t, as far as a player handling a tough thing, I’ve never seen one do it as well as he did in that moment.
That was just the business side of basketball that you can’t control. Yeah, you can’t control. I did my job. The thing I miss and loved was the relationships. I don’t talk to these rings I have at my house. I don’t watch old highlights and stuff. I call Draymond Green. I call Steph Curry. I’ll call Iguodala. That’s what I miss.”
Myers revealed that trading Andre Iguodala was the worst he’s felt making a decision. Iguodala was originally traded to the Memphis Grizzlies, but he found his way to the Miami Heat to make another NBA Finals. Myers eventually brought Iguodala back where he won another NBA Championship in 2022.
D’Angelo Russell Made This A Bigger Regret
The timing of this decision featured a huge turning point in the Warriors franchise. Kevin Durant chose to leave Golden State for the Brooklyn Nets in free agency to end his time after just three seasons.
Klay Thompson suffered a terrible injury in the previous NBA Finals that was going to see him missing a full year. Myers decided to work out a sign and trade with the Nets to get back Russell for Durant instead of losing the superstar for nothing.
Russell was coming off an All-Star season, but he failed to easily fit into the Warriors’ system. Myers realized he lost Iguodala for no reason since Russell wasn’t going to be a long-term fit. One huge positive to come was trading Russell for Andrew Wiggins, who helped Golden State win another title.
Andre Iguodala Never Held A Grudge
The overall topic of Myers’ point was that he hated the business side of getting rid of a loyal player who helped them win to prioritize the team’s future. To his credit, Iguodala instantly understood the trade and had no ill will towards Myers or Steve Kerr.
The chance to continue winning made Iguodala focus on finding his next team. Jimmy Butler recruiting Iguodala to Miami gave him another NBA Finals run as his only time getting there without the Warriors.
Iguodala looking at things professionally allowed him to come back and retire in Golden State. Rumors even indicated that Warriors’ ownership considered him a viable coaching candidate in case Kerr retired. Iguodala kept his ties to Golden State and still has their trust today.
Bob Myers Reveals Surprising Toughest Moment As Warriors GM