The Memphis Grizzlies are red-hot, but still have a decision to make on Andre Iguodala as the NBA Trade Deadline approaches
The Memphis Grizzlies are 19-22 and somehow ranked 8th in the Western Conference. Even though the Grit and Grind era in Memphis is long gone, a new one has been birthed by Ja Morant, who is averaging 18 points on 48 percent shooting from the field during his rookie season.
The Grizzlies have sped up their rebuild and have done it in a massive youth movement. The team only has six players with five years of NBA experience or more. One of those players is a 17-year pro and three-time champion Andre Iguodala.
Iggy was traded to Memphis in salary dump trade to help cut costs for the Warriors during the summer in an attempt to make room for the sign-and-trade that saw them acquire D’Angelo Russell from the Nets.
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Honestly, a soon to be 36-year-old who hasn’t played over 70 games in two years isn’t the missing piece anymore.
Iggy was one of the Voltron pieces that helped form a once-unstoppable force of a team. He was not the most flashy player of the Warriors, but his defense and unselfishness set a tone that helped Golden State excel. Iguodala could have gone to other teams, scored more points, made more All-Star teams but he wanted more.
Now, with his career coming to a close, he is a part of one of the oddest NBA roster moves this year. Andre Iguodala is being paid $17 million to not play for the Grizzlies. This is a mutual decision by both parties as they continue to look for a trade.
The problem is there appears to be no trade on the horizon. Any team with that amount of cap room is already tanking, so they wouldn’t want to swap assets. So a buyout seems much more likely.
Any contender willing to trade for Iggy would give up too much to get him. Leaving them either with missing pieces of their current successful roster or without future draft picks.
Why would a team risk losing an asset to take a flyer on a 36-year-old player who has not played since last June? When there will players who are admittedly not the defender Iggy is at the deadline available for much less. So that would a more reasonable risk to take. Couple this with how Iggy has lost most of his offensive touch, only shooting 33 percent from 3-point range and sub-60 percent from the free-throw line and his value takes another hit.
Iggy could help the Grizzlies this year. This team has growing talent. They may not be a .500 team right now but they are showing the West they can play. The Grizz are riding a six-game win streak right now. A true veteran with guidance and postseason experience could help this team grow even more.
If Andre Iguodala followed in the footsteps of Vince Carter it could help him show teams he has more to offer. Carter has made himself one of the best mentors in the NBA. It shows on that Atlanta team.
Iggy could find a new way to latch on to a contender next season if he laced it up for Memphis this year. Maybe a return to Philly to help mentor Ben Simmons or Matisse Thybulle. Or his pick of either LA teams.
We are at the midpoint of the NBA season and if Iggy wants to latch onto a team next year, he should show some teams he can find new ways to make himself useful. Or this lost year might be a highly paid delay to his retirement this offseason.