Getty Andre Iguodala reacts to a play in a game against the New Orleans Pelicans.
The Golden State Warriors could bring back a popular player who was a key part of the five-year run to the NBA Finals, an insider reports.
After two consecutive seasons that fell short of making the playoffs — the latest ending with a disappointing finish in the league’s new play-in tournament — the Warriors are looking to jump back into contention with the expected return of Klay Thompson next season. That will include some likely upgrades to the second unit, with one well-traveled veteran and former Warriors star as a suggested target.
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Warriors Seek Veteran Playmaker
As Grant Liffman of NBC Sports Bay Area noted, the Warriors are in need of a “veteran playmaker” who can bolster the second unit for next season. He specifically pointed to someone like former Warriors wing Andre Iguodala, who signed a two-year, $30 million contract with the Miami Heat last season.
As Liffman noted, Iguodala was able to play an important role despite his age.
“At 37 years old, Iguodala is not the same player that Warriors fans had come to adore, putting up career-lows in points per game, field goal percentage and assists,” he wrote.
“However, like the Andre of old, he held a veteran leadership role with the team, and even remained relatively healthy for a majority of the season, playing in 63 games and averaging about 21 minutes per contest.”
Liffman noted that the Heat are likely to retool this offseason and could pick up Iguodala’s club option and use it as a salary slot for a trade. In that case, the Warriors could snag him as a key reserve player.
NBA Playoffs: Former Warrior Andre Iguodala plays 26 minutes off bench in Heat’s game four loss vs. Bucks, 120-103
“Should the Heat pick up his option, then the only chance the Warriors would have to eventually reunite with Iguodala would be after a possible contract buyout with a new team, or simply waiting another season until he is a free agent,” Liffman wrote.
Warriors Have Decisions to Make
Whether Iguodala becomes a target or not, the Warriors will likely face some roster decisions in the upcoming offseason as the team looks to jump back into title contention. One of those includes Iguodala’s position, with wing Kelly Oubre Jr. set to become a free agent. The Warriors held onto Oubre at the trade deadline despite rumors that he was a popular target, passing up the chance to snag a player who could be part of the future in exchange for the immediate boost that they hoped Oubre would bring for a playoff run. The gamble did not end up paying off, as he was out for the final weeks of the season with a wrist injury and the Warriors fell short of the playoffs.
Kelly Oubre told Bob Myers he’d like to return to the Warriors, but the pending free agent’s future remains unclear
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As Sam Quinn of CBS Sports noted, Oubre showed flashes of strong play but was largely inconsistent through 55 games. He made just 31.6 percent from behind the three-point arc, the worst mark since his rookie year, though was often the team’s second scoring option behind Steph Curry.
The report noted that Oubre appears headed for a new contract of roughly $20 million per year, which could make him too expensive for the Warriors to keep. That could provide an opening for a player like Iguodala, if Golden State decides to go that route.
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