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The NBA season is set to start in just 11 days and Andre Iguodala is still under contract with the Memphis Grizzlies, to the chagrin of Lakers fans who were hoping he’d be available by now. However, it seems that the Lakers aren’t the only Los Angeles basketball team Iguodala would consider if he was bought out by the Grizzlies.
According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, the three-time NBA champion and former Finals MVP would sign with the Lakers or Clippers as a free agent:
“It’s the two L.A. teams. It’s the Lakers and the Clippers, and there is a buyout at some point and if Memphis can’t trade him, that’s where that will come down to — those two teams.”
The Lakers might be the favorites to sign Iguodala as a free agent because of his relationship with the team’s general manager, Rob Pelinka — his former agent — and their clear need for a small forward. But the Clippers can sell Iguodala on being a part of their defensive-minded team and — above all else — a lesser workload, which might be of interest to Iguodala at 35 years old.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem as though the decision will come down to Iguodala, as the Grizzlies are hopeful they can find a trade partner for the two-time All-Defensive teamer at some point in the season. If they didn’t, he likely would have been bought out by now.
If Iguodala is still on the Grizzlies’ roster by Dec. 15, when most trade restrictions are lifted off of players league-wide, it’s safe to assume Iguodala won’t be suiting up in the purple and gold next season because the Lakers can’t give much up for him. There is a chance he still wears the red, white and blue, though, as the Clippers can offer Maurice Harkless and Jerome Robinson, among others.
For the sake of the Lakers and their fans’ sanity, let’s hope it’s Iguodala that gets to decide where he’ll play next season.
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