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Andre Iguodala hasn’t decided yet whether he’ll return to the Golden State Warriors, but he knows if he comes back it’ll be wearing a jersey and not a suit.
The veteran had publicly pondered retirement as he struggled with injuries last season, but has yet to announce what he plans for the next season. There had been some rumors that Iguodala could move into a hybrid playing and coaching role, but the 19-year veteran said this week he’s not interested in holding a clipboard next year.
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Iguodala Still Pondering His Future
Igoudala returned to the Warriors last offseason with the hope of providing some veteran leadership on and off the court, but found only half success as he appeared in just 31 games while suffering a number of different injuries. He did serve as a mentor to some of the team’s younger players, earning praise from head coach Steve Kerr for how he worked with rookie Jonathan Kuminga and second-year center James Wiseman.
Despite a disappointing season, Iguodala said he’s not yet worn down by the grind of a grueling basketball schedule and is still thinking about whether he wants to come back to help the Warriors defend their title.
“I like basketball,” Iguodala said in an appearance on the “Dubs Talk” podcast this week. “I actually like training, too. Summer training is probably the hardest thing. People don’t understand that to really get ready for a season what your body has to go through.
“I’m trying to reflect on the season, enjoy it, enjoy being a champion. And if that time comes … I don’t know if it’s going to be a tough decision, but I’m ready for whatever.”
No Player-Coach Role for Iguodala
Some insiders thought that the Warriors could carve out a special role for Iguodala next season, similar to veteran Udonis Haslem with the Miami Heat. The 42-year-old Haslem has a spot reserved for him even though he rarely takes the court anymore, appearing in just 58 games over the last eight seasons.
One Western Conference executive told Heavy.com’s Sean Deveney that Kerr would welcome Iguodala back in a similar role.
“Those two get along very well, they understand each other. I think Steve would be OK with Andre doing the Udonis Haslem thing where he is playing but not playing, just a coach in uniform,” the executive said.
But Iguodala put that rumor to rest, saying he’s not interested in doing that for the Warriors next season.
“I’ve got to kill that one,” Iguodala said. “I don’t think people understand what Udonis does for the team. He and I have been talking the past couple weeks. We always keep in touch. That’s my man.
“But people don’t understand what goes into that.”
The Warriors still have several roster spots to fill for next season, and could use Iguodala’s leadership after losing a pair of veterans in Otto Porter Jr. and Nemanja Bjelica. The team’s young players also project to take on bigger roles next season, with Wiseman returning from injury and Kuminga expected to move up in the rotation.
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