According to The New York Times, the Rockets, Lakers, and Clippers remain hopeful that Andre Iguodala will be bought out later this season.
The Houston Rockets are among the Western Conference contenders still hoping to pursue veteran defensive ace Andre Iguodala, if he ultimately receives a buyout from the Memphis Grizzlies.
In a Friday update, Marc Stein of The New York Times listed the Rockets and both Los Angeles teams (Lakers, Clippers) as among those squads hoping that Iguodala becomes a buyout candidate later this season.
Because the Grizzlies seem intent on trying to trade Iguodala first, any potential Iguodala buyout would appear unlikely until after the 2019-20 NBA trade deadline on Feb. 6, 2020. Iguodala would need to be bought out by March 1 in order to be playoff eligible with his next team.
The Grizzlies remain convinced they can find a trade partner for Iguodala and his $17.2 million salary before the Feb. 6 trade deadline … while teams like the Lakers, Clippers and Rockets stubbornly retain hope that the former Warriors defensive ace becomes a buyout candidate
Now 35 years old, Iguodala was traded to Memphis in July purely to cut costs after Golden State faced a hard salary cap due to the double sign-and-trade deal involving Kevin Durant and D’Angelo Russell. The Grizzlies actually received a future first-round pick to take on Iguodala, who has one year and $17.2 million left on his contract.
For Memphis, the primary value of the trade was believed to be that future draft selection, since Iguodala wouldn’t seem to be a fit for the rebuilding Grizzlies at this advanced stage of his career. Thus, many around the NBA have believed that Iguodala would eventually be bought out of his contract, as occurs with numerous veterans on bad teams every season that are in the final year of their contracts.
But to this point, the Grizzlies have held firm on not buying him out and are instead continuing to try and trade Iguodala for more assets. During this process, Iguodala is working out privately away from the team to stay in game shape while awaiting his next destination.
The Rockets, who are well above the NBA’s salary cap, are likely unable to trade for Iguodala — even if they wanted to. This is because they lack the mid-tier salary fillers necessary to approach his $17-million contract and make a deal legal under the league’s collective bargaining agreement. However, reports over the summer indicated that the Rockets believed Iguodala would be a good fit in Houston.
In recent weeks, reports have suggested that the Rockets (19-9) are attempting to add wing depth to their team. At 6-foot-6 and extremely versatile on defense, Iguodala would certainly seem to fit the bill.
As far as Iguodala is concerned, the problem for GM Daryl Morey and the Rockets could be his California roots. Considering he played his last six seasons with the Warriors, either the Lakers (24-5) or Clippers (21-9) would offer a much shorter commute to home than Houston.
But it seems the Rockets still want the opportunity to make their pitch, if Iguodala ultimately becomes a free agent. And if only a small handful of weeks are left in the 2019-20 season by the time Iguodala makes his choice, perhaps that could make geography slightly less of a priority.
HoopsHype ranks the five players who have popped up the most in trade rumors over the past week, including Kevin Love and Chris Paul.
As of Dec. 15, 123 players became eligible for trade that previously couldn’t be dealt. Because of that many expect activity on the trade market to finally start to pick up after a long dry spell.
Various big-name players have been bandied about over recent days, and though a huge deal may not seem imminent, one could spring up on us at any time.
Below, HoopsHype ranks the five players who have popped up the most in rumors on the site’s Trade page over the past week.
Of course, he doesn’t control whether he gets dealt or not, and considering how well he’s playing and where the Knicks sit in the standings (13th in the East with a 7-21 record), odds are, if New York receives a worthy offer, the big man will be traded.
The latest on Morris’ trade market came courtesy of ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Zach Lowe, who had this exchange during a recent TV special:
“‘[The Clippers] thought they had Marcus Morris in July,’ said Wojnarowski. ‘That’s a player they had great interest with, that they saw who would fit with Paul George and with Kawhi Leonard. So, to see them revisit that is certainly plausible.’ Lowe added: ‘I would expect that package to be out there.'”
Morris is averaging a career-high 18.8 points this season, to go with 5.7 rebounds and 2.8 triples on fiery 43.1/47.7/86.1 shooting splits. He’d be a great addition to any contender.
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4. CHRIS PAUL
Heading into the season, many expected Chris Paul, a veteran All-Star on an Oklahoma City Thunder team in Year-1 of a full rebuild, to get traded. And although that could still happen, it’s looking less and less likely the more information we receive on the matter.
The primary culprit for that is Paul’s enormous contract, which will pay him $41.4 million next year, in his age-35 season, and $44.2 million the year after, in his age-36 campaign. Simply put: That’s way too much money to be paying a diminutive floor general with a history of injury troubles, no matter how well he’s playing right now.
It’ll take a desperate team in a small market to even consider making a run at Paul, and even then, it probably won’t happen until his contract becomes an expiring deal. And that’s only if Paul is still producing at a high level, which may not be the case at that point in his career.
Paul is averaging 16.2 points, 6.3 assists and 1.7 steals per game this season.
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3. D’ANGELO RUSSELL
Another floor general who came into the season with a lot of trade buzz surrounding his name, D’Angelo Russell also seems likely to stay put through the season, at least if recent reports are to be believed.
Woj says he thinks it's more likely Golden State will wait until the summer to look at trading D'Angelo Russell rather than doing so in-season. Says it doesn't make much sense for Golden State to canvas the league in-season.
The issue with Russell and the Golden State Warriors is that when the Warriors are fully operational, he’d be the third-best guard on his own team while earning an enormous salary over the next four seasons. That would be a poor distribution of resources by Golden State, particularly when Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson get healthy.
Of course, Curry isn’t set to return until at least February while Thompson might not return at all until 2020-21, so the Warriors really don’t have a need to move Russell until next summer, where they can trade him for a player who would give them a more well-balanced roster.
Regardless, there are a few point-guard needy teams out there right now, and if one gets desperate enough for more scoring in their backcourt, we could see a deal before February’s trade deadline.
Russell is averaging 21.5 points and 6.2 assists in 2019-20.
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2. ANDRE IGUODALA
Former Warrior Andre Iguodala, unlike the two aforementioned point guards, is a player who looks likely be traded this season. Iguodala has yet to suit up for the Memphis Grizzlies, who are keeping him away from the team while they figure out what they’re going to do with the 2015 Finals MVP.
According to reports over the past week, coming from multiple reputable outlets, the teams that have interest in Iguodala include the Los Angeles Clippers, the Los Angeles Lakers, the Denver Nuggets, the Dallas Mavericks and the Houston Rockets.
The problem is, all of those teams are capped out, and Iguodala is owed $17.2 million this season, meaning both sides are going to have to get the salary swaps just right to make a deal work. In all likelihood, the contenders chasing Iguodala and the swingman himself are probably hoping the Grizzlies agree to a fair buyout with the almost-36-year-old, so that they’re able to sign him to recruit him, sign him to a team-friendly contract and not lose assets in a trade.
At the same time, the Grizzlies have little motivation to do that, so expect Iguodala ultimately to get traded over the next month and a half.
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1. KEVIN LOVE
One of the likeliest trade candidates this season is Kevin Love, who hasn’t gone as far as to demand a trade, but made it clear – publicly – that if one does happen, he wouldn’t mind.
It’s obvious why Love is such a bandied-about trade prospect: He’s 31, playing on a team mostly full of up-and-coming players who are nowhere near ready to compete for even a playoff spot, let alone a title. That plus his huge contract make his future with the Cleveland Cavaliers look pretty murky.
There has been some back-and-forth over the past week on whether the Cavs will be able to land a first-round pick in exchange for Love, or whether they’ll have to give one up in order for someone to be willing to take his massive deal, but ESPN’s Zach Lowe thinks they’ll be able to pick up a coveted asset while mentioning the Portland Trail Blazers and Phoenix Suns as potential suitors.
For what it’s worth, Love has no idea how this saga will end, telling The Athletic:
“Could I see [getting traded]? I could see … I just don’t … What’s going to happen with us this summer? Or at the trade deadline? I just don’t know. It’s just tough because, and I’m not a religious guy by any means, but the old saying ‘You want to make God laugh? Tell him your plans.’ Listen, obviously it’s a tough go right now. We’ve got (six) wins. But in some ways, the grass isn’t always greener. You just don’t know how the shit is going to shake out. Ever. In anything.”
Love might not be sure, but all signs point to him getting dealt prior to February.
You can follow Frank Urbina on Twitter: @FrankUrbina_.
After a near silent few months of trade rumors, rumblings league-wide are beginning to pick up. We have the latest stirrings for you here.
TRADE SZN STIRRING: You know trade season is about to pick up when Woj is getting his own half-hour ESPN specials to discuss the latest rumblings in the Association. Among the rumors discussed by Woj and Zach Lowe:
LET THE TRADES BEGIN: Yesterday, 123 players had their trade restrictions – stemming from them signing new contracts this past summer – lifted.Here is every single guy who can now be traded.
YESTERDAY IN THE ASSOCIATION: One team continues to roll while another continues to do the opposite of that.
🔥 The Lakers defeated the Hawks 101-96 to improve to 24-3 on the year. It wasn’t their most impressive victory, but the fact they refuse to lose on the road this season is insane in its own right. LeBron James finished the contest with 32 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists while Anthony Davis had 27 points, 13 rebounds and two blocks.
😲 The Pelicans lost their 12th game in a row on Sunday, falling 130-119 to the Orlando Magic… at home.Head coach Alvin Gentry’s job appears to be safe for now, but if the losing continues, it would be easy to foresee first-year GM David Griffin bringing in his own guy to lead New Orleans. Markelle Fultzthrew down this nifty dunk in that same game.
(NOT) HOT SEAT: The Bulls have been an abject disaster this season relative to expectations, placing a lot of heat on head coach Jim Boylen’s job security. Regardless, Chicago general managerJim Paxson publicly endorsed his head coach on Saturday anyway.
A RETURN APPROACHING:Jusuf Nurkic says he’s 60 percent complete with rehab, and was seen doing more physical activity at practice recently. Portland, 10-16, desperately needs their big man to get healthy as soon as possible.
SWINGMAN RETURNS: Wilson Chandler made his return for the Nets yesterday after missing the first 25 games of the season due to testing positive for a banned substance. He played 19 minutes and scored seven points in a 109-89 Brooklyn victory over the Sixers.
ATTEMPTED COMEBACK: Six-time All-Star Amare Stoudemire has left the Chinese CBA and returned to South Floridain hopes of making an NBA return.
FASCINATING JOURNEY: St. Thomas More is an all-boy boarding school with an enrollment of 125, located in Connecticut. Why are we telling you that?Because that tiny school somehow produced three NBA players, all of whom play on the Golden State Warriors this season. Crazy.
CLUTCH LIKE DADDY: LeBron James Jr., in a nationally televised game against his father’s alma mater, with his father in attendance,hit a game-winning layup and was named MVP of the contest over the weekend. It would be really cool if we got to see both James men in the NBA at the same time one day.
What isn’t Stephen Curry good at? Andre Iguodala shared a story of Curry going for 40-points after spending the day on the golf course.
Both Andre Iguodala and Stephen Curry will go down as two of the best teammates in Golden State Warriors history, the duo shared three-storied championship runs, and their adventures on the golf course are pretty legendary too.
“Like, we got a game tomorrow, and it’s important for him to play well—If I don’t play well, it’s whatever they ain’t going to blame me,” Iguodala told Lang. “But he played great that day. He shot in the 70s like he always does. I shot ok— I shot in the 80s, so I was happy around that time. So, I might have broke 90 that day, and I was happy.”
The story gets better when Iguodala goes on to explain that Curry tallied 40-points after playing 18-holes on the golf course the same day, during a back-to-back in the NBA.
“I didn’t play well that night because I was like—’whatever,’ but he had like 40 that night—he had 40 that night. He killed them.”
Iguodala joked that no one on the team knew what the two were up to earlier, except the Warriors head coach, Steve Kerr. Kerr joked with Curry after the game that he should play golf every game day, according to Iguodala.
“Steve was like, ‘You guys better play good today.’ Then he was like, ‘Steph; you should play golf every day.’ It was funny— it was hilarious,” Iguodala said.
The percentage of the human population that can score 42-points in an NBA game is ultra-low, then to shoot a 70-on the golf course on the same day, all while traveling on an NBA schedule is astounding.
The Memphis Grizzlies have one of the most intriguing pieces for a contender, but getting him there isn’t going to happen via a buyout.
Nobody would blame the Los Angeles Lakers if they weren’t too worried about adding to their team as they currently sit atop the National Basketball Association with a 14-2 record, riding their second seven-game winning streak of the young season. But being that they are trying to a win a championship, finding some more talent would be prudent. But if that talent is exiled Memphis Grizzlies forward Andre Iguodala, the evidence is mounting that would have to happen via trade.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski recently discussed the message the Grizzlies have been sending the Lakers and the rest of the NBA that they will need to trade for Iguodala if they want add him to the team.
Transcribed by Christian Rivas at Silver Screen and Roll:
“He’s still a member of the Memphis Grizzlies, and the message that Memphis has been delivering to the entire league, to teams who would love to get him, especially for the postseason. The Clippers, the Lakers, the Houston Rockets, you’re going to have to trade for him. We are not buying him out. He is not going to be on the free agent market. And I think the date of Dec. 15 will be an important day for Andre Iguodala. That is when the summer’s free agents, almost 40% of the players in the league are eligible to be traded. Now you can get more creative with deals. At 35 years old he is fine sitting right now, taking a look at what the marketplace is going to look like, preserving his body, but Iguodala is a player, who Memphis is telling people ‘you’re not going to get him in a contract buyout.’”
This latest update is just the latest in a steady stream of reports about Memphis not wanting to just give Iguodala away to a would-be contender. If they want him for a playoff run this season, it will cost a team an asset to get him. If it wasn’t clear enough before, it should be clearer now: the 2015 Finals MVP won’t be a gift for the league at the cost of the Grizzlies long-term plans.
After their first twelve games of the 2019-20 season, the once-mighty Golden State Warriors currently have the worst record in the league.
After their first 12 games of the 2019-20 season, the once-mighty Golden State Warriors currently have the worst record in the league.
Their roster has been absolutely decimated, mostly due to injuries to their two franchise cornerstones Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. But their wild offseason also included the departures of two former NBA Finals MVP in both Kevin Durant and Andre Iguodala. Golden State hardly resembles the team that won the Western Conference five years in a row.
While the offense has struggled without these players, it has been especially bad on the other end of the court. Their defensive rating (117.2) ranks as the worst in the league. Overall, their winning percentage (.167) is a far cry from their mark in 2018-19 (.695).
According to our research, that would be the largest year-over-year negative difference in NBA history. This pace would be worse than the Cleveland Cavaliers after they first lost LeBron James in 2010-11 and the Chicago Bulls after Michael Jordan retired for the second time.
The good news is their eerie similarities thus far to the San Antonio Spurs in 1996-97. Much like the Warriors who added an All-Star (D’Angelo Russell) in the offseason and have started 2-10, the Spurs signed a former All-Star in Dominique Wilkins before the season began and started 2-13. San Antonio received just six games from David Robinson due to an injury while Golden State lost Curry after only four appearances.
The Spurs finished the season 20-62 and ended up with a lottery pick that was used to draft Tim Duncan. Once he returned from injury and played alongside Duncan, they went on to win two titles together following their rough speed bump in 1997. If Golden State gets a high lottery pick to add alongside Curry and Thompson, perhaps a similar fate is coming to the Bay Area.
For context: This is not the first time that the Warriors have experienced an incredibly poor change in their year-over-year performance. They made the NBA Finals in 1964 behind 36.9 points per game from Wilt Chamberlain, who was traded the following season. Later the year, the team then finished with the worst record in the league.
HoopsHype’s Alberto de Roa contributed research to this report
The man who could decide an NBA title is sitting at home.
Andre Iguodala, the X-factor in all those Golden State Warriors championships, was dealt to the Memphis Grizzlies this past summer to help the mostly capped-out Dubs acquire D’Angelo Russell.
Since then, he hasn’t played a minute for the rebuilding Griz as he waits for Memphis to either find him a new home via a trade or a buyout. No matter what route he ends up taking to a new team, the truth is this: he may swing the balance of power in an NBA without one clear front-runner, where — as of Thursday — nearly half the league is above .500.
The rumors and reports have connected him to the Los Angeles Lakers, which would make so much sense for veteran forward. His former agent is Rob Pelinka, the Lakers’ GM. They don’t necessarily have the best option at small forward off the bench since Kyle Kuzma is more of a stretch power forward.
But fit isn’t the issue — Iggy is still a veteran leader who might have faded offensively in recent years but who is still a force defensively and whose numbers get better in the postseason (he was a one steal, one block, one three player in last year’s Warriors run).
The funny thing to me is I’d actually want Iguodala if I was a West team trying to get by the Lakers — he’s been known to D up LeBron James pretty well in the past. I’d love to see Iguodala in the Nuggets’ rotation despite their glut of small forwards. Just for laughs, I want the Clippers to grab him just to add to their already-nightmarish defense. And what about an East contender? Imagine having to face the Bucks with Khris Middleton and then see Iguodala heading toward the scorer’s table? A reunion with the 76ers would get the fan base pumped.
Here’s the problem with a trade — will a contender deal what might be a high price (a first-rounder?) for a player past his prime? The other: he’s owed $17.1 million this year, so the team that would trade for him would need to make the move work under the salary cap, something tricky if a contender has a stacked rotation it doesn’t want to dismantle for one player.
That all looks to me like a player who’s going to be sitting through the NBA trade deadline in February, receive a buyout and find himself on a roster soon after.
And that might be the move that pushes someone over the top in the postseason.
