Free agent forward Andre Iguodala has agreed to return to the Warriors, telling Jonathan Abrams of The New York Times that he’ll sign a one-year deal with Golden State. His intention is to finish his career with the franchise.
According to Anthony Slater of The Athletic (Twitter link), Iguodala – like fellow free agents Otto Porter and Nemanja Bjelica – will receive the veteran’s minimum from Golden State.
A report on Thursday indicated that Iguodala – who became a free agent after the Heat turned down his $15MM team option – had narrowed his choices down to the Warriors, Lakers, and Nets, while a follow-up report this morning from Jordan Schultz of ESPN (Twitter link) suggested the decision would likely come down to Brooklyn vs. Golden State.
In the end, the opportunity to reunite with the Warriors won out for the 37-year-old, who previously earned three titles with the team.
“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. “The relationship with the fans, the relationship with the Bay, the opportunity to end it here, was just something special.”
Iguodala, who routinely averaged between 15-20 points per game for the 76ers early in his NBA career, is no longer much of an offensive threat, having put up just 4.4 PPG, 3.6 RPG, and 2.3 APG on .396/.323/.585 shooting in 84 games (20.9 MPG) over the last two seasons in Miami.
However, the veteran forward remains a reliable, versatile defender and brings veteran leadership to a locker room. He told Abrams that he’s looking forward to taking on a mentor role for the Warriors’ young players.
As for how much longer Iguodala plans to spend in the league before his retirement, that decision remains up in the air, as Abrams relays.
“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.”