Andre Iguodala will return to Warriors on minimum deal

Andre Iguodala will return to the Warriors.

According to a league source, Iguodala, 37, plans to sign a one-year, minimum contract with Golden State, with whom he spent six seasons, won three NBA championships and claimed the 2015 NBA Finals MVP.

This comes after days of speculation about whether Iguodala, who became a free agent when the Miami Heat declined his option for next season, would prefer a return to the Bay Area or a chance to play with title favorites such as the Brooklyn Nets and Los Angeles Lakers.

“The relationship with the fans, the relationship with the Bay, the opportunity to end it here, was just something special,” Iguodala told the New York Times.

The Warriors made five straight Finals appearances during Iguodala’s tenure. He was a central part of the team as he came off the bench, played all-pro caliber defense and helped run head coach Steve Kerr’s read-and-react offense. He averaged 7.3 points, 3.4 assists and 3.9 rebounds in 26.7 minutes over his six seasons and was part of Golden State’s most effective lineups. The championship run ended in 2019, when injuries to Klay Thompson and Kevin Durant thwarted the Warriors’ chance of a third straight title. That summer, Durant left for Brooklyn and Iguodala was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies.

Iguodala was then traded to the Miami Heat at the 2020 trade deadline. In the bubble playoff run, he looked like the sixth man that thrived during the height of the Warriors’ dynasty and played a key role to Miami making the 2021 Finals. But age showed more than ever last season, in which Iguodala averaged 4.4 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.3 assists while shooting a career-low 38.3% overall in 63 games.

Still, the Warriors remained interested in a reunion with Iguodala throughout the free-agent process. Though Iguodala may not be able to play the night-to-night sixth man role anymore, his experience, ball-handling and mentorship will be valuable on a minimum contract.