Warriors Front Office "Anticipates" the Return of Andre Iguodala
Training camp starts this Saturday, which means we’ll soon have an answer to the question Warriors fans, the front office, and probably many players as well have been asking: Will we see Andre Iguodala for one last run to start next season?
Per NBA insider Marc Stein, it’s looking like that may be the reality.
While there’s nothing concrete from Iguodala himself besides some cryptic Twitter posts, it appears Myers and company are expecting him to be on the roster for the season. This would be his 19th year in the league, making him the oldest besides Heat legend Udonis Haslem in the current times.
Iguodala played only 31 games last season, with plenty of sidelining due to some nagging injuries. Regardless, it appears there’s a secure roster spot for him if he decides to return fully, which he has stated he will announce on his “Point Forward” podcast sometime in the near future. Whether that’s before training camp, or all the way up to the deadline on October 17th remains to be determined.
What’s interesting about Iggy’s return is that the Warriors will probably be having him on the bench most of the time, likely keeping him in the locker room to help coach up and mentor the younger guys like James Wiseman, Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody, and the new batch of rookies and other young guns who will be on the team. The Warriors last season were relatively firm on going into the year with only 14 of their 15 roster spots filled, but Gary Payton II impressed enough to take the spot instead of leaving it vacant for a possible buyout signing - something which ultimately paid dividends upon dividends for the Dubs.
Iguodala, a Finals MVP in 2015, has been an avid supporter and defender of Klay Thompson and Draymond Green, but especially of Steph Curry, taking it upon himself to defend Steph’s legacy. It’s obvious to observers how important he is to the team’s culture and the locker room environment, so a return would most certainly be welcome. Not to mention, his particular skillset would be something he can pass on excellently to Jonathan Kuminga, who actually resembles a younger Iguodala in a lot of ways as an athletic, do-it-all slasher who, while room for improvement with his jumper, has shown plenty of flashes of an all-star calibre ceiling.
Training camp begins this Saturday, but as mentioned, we could be waiting until mid-October, just before Opening Night, to hear the decision.
(Photo credit: Alex Goodlett / Getty Images)