Veteran forward Andre Iguodala is going to run it back with Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green in the Bay Area. This is after Iguodala reportedly agreed to sign a one-year deal with the Golden State Warriors, and he’s got a pretty sentimental reason for why he chose to return to Dub Nation, per Jonathan Abrams of The New York Times:
“Who would have thought I’d have the opportunity to go back to the place where I was able to have, whatever you want to call it, legacy years, in terms of the accomplishments, winning multiple championships, the relationships that I was able to build with some of my closest friends and teammates?” Iguodala said, adding: “The relationship with the fans, the relationship with the Bay, the opportunity to end it here, was just something special.”
Reading between the lines, it also seems that the upcoming season could be Iguodala’s last dance in the NBA.
“I think I’ve got some more time left,” Iguodala said. “Where I’m comfortable at is I can decide when I’m ready to go. I think I want to leave with just a little bit left. I don’t want to go out on one leg. I know I’ve got a few more years. It’s just my decision whether it’s one or two or three or whatever it may be. I shouldn’t even say three. One or two.”
At 37 years old, there isn’t much left in Iguodala’s tank, but his experience and familiarity with the core of the Warriors easily make him a perfect fit for the team.
At this point, the Warriors are trying to squeeze at least one more championship from the primes of Curry, Thompson, and Green. All three are at least 31 years old, with Thompson, unfortunately, missing the last two seasons due to serious injuries. Whether they are going to stay with the Warriors beyond the expirations of their current deals or not, what’s clear is the Golden State is in a win-now mode.
Iguodala, who spent the last two seasons with the Miami Heat, likely will not play a significant amount of minutes for the Warriors in his return. On top of the small forward pecking order in Golden State is Andrew Wiggins and his main backup should be Otto Porter Jr. The Warriors also selected Jonathan Kuminga during the 2021 NBA Draft.
That should not be much of a concern for Iguodala, who’s only looking to help the Warriors any way he can to add a fourth ring to his impressive pro career. He’s at the tail-end of his time in the NBA, but Warriors fans will always have fond memories of him, especially since he was the 2015 NBA Finals MVP.
Even if he doesn’t play a lot of minutes, Iguodala will still be able to provide veteran leadership and tutelage to their younger players. There won’t be a lot of Warriors fans complaining about his return, either, considering all of the memories he gave them.