Golden State Warriors sent forward Andre Iguodala to Memphis Grizzlies on Monday as part of the sign-and-trade deal that helped them land D’Angelo Russell. Iguodala, however, might not even get to put on a Grizzlies jersey.
According to ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith, Iguodala plans to reach a buyout agreement with the Grizzlies and then sign with the Los Angeles Lakers.
“He has basically — according to sources — informed everybody he’s going to work out a buyout and then go to the Lakers,” according to Smith. “So Andre Iguodala is planning on joining the Lakers from what we’re being told. I don’t know how true that is, whether or not it is going to definitively happen. But that is the plan at this particular moment in time.”
The buyout from the Memphis makes sense for Iguodala, as he wants to join another championship contender rather than playing for a lottery team with the Grizzlies. He currently has a one year and $17.2 million left on his deal, so he will probably have to give up some of the money to get free.
Lakers’ link for Andre Iguodala makes sense as the franchise is expected to be one of the favorites for NBA title next season especially if they manage to get Kawhi Leonard to join them. Also, Lakers’ general manager Rob Pelinka was Iguodala’s agent, so their reunion might be on the books.
Iguodala is coming off a weak season for him, as he managed to average career-low 5.7 points per game to go with 3.7 rebounds and 3.2 assists. His production increased in the playoffs, however, where he averaged 9.8 points per game.
