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What's the rumor?
Andre Iguodala was expected to see out the final years of his career in Golden State, but the Warriors opted to trade the veteran during free agency in order to complete a deal for D'Angelo Russell.
Iguodala now finds himself on an out-of-contention Memphis Grizzlies team, and the 2015 Finals MVP is believed to be keen on playing on a contending team. A buyout remains possible, and the New York Post is reporting that the Los Angeles Lakers would jump at the chance to sign Iguodala:
The Los Angeles Lakers are keeping their final roster spot open, patiently awaiting the fate of Andre Iguodala. If the rebuilding Grizzlies buy Iguodala out after acquiring him from Golden State, the Lakers would jump on adding the veteran to their overhauled roster.
In case you didn't know...
Iguodala was selected by the Philadelphia 76ers with the 9th overall pick in the 2004 draft and went on to spend eight seasons with the team.
After a brief spell with the Denver Nuggets, Iguodala joined the Warriors in 2013, and the veteran played a key role in Golden State's recent dominance. With the Warriors, the 35-year-old made five straight trips to the NBA Finals, winning titles in 2015, 2017 and 2018.
The heart of the matter
After enduring a below-par regular season, Iguodala was impressive as the Warriors fell to a 4-2 Finals defeat to the Raptors. However, the former Sixers man still has one year remaining on the three-year, $48 million deal that he signed back in 2017.
This means that the Lakers don't have the resources to complete a trade, and Iguodala's move to Los Angeles hinges on his ability to agree to a buyout.
What's next?
The Lakers still have one open roster spot to fill ahead of the 19-20 season. Meanwhile, Iguodala has also been linked with the Clippers and the Rockets.
