Recent Lakers rumors are that Andre Iguodala would choose between the Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers if he is bought out.
With the Los Angeles Lakers playing across the Pacific Ocean in China, recent Lakers rumors have been about a player that has been linked to the team quite frequently this summer.
After being traded by the Golden State Warriors this summer, Andre Iguodala has been one of top veterans that has already been linked to other teams. With buyouts becoming a common thing in the NBA for veterans on bad teams, Iguodala doesn’t want much to do with a rebuilding team in Memphis.
Recently, Adrian Wojnarowski talked about Iguodala going to either the Lakers or the Clippers if he is bought out by the Grizzlies. Here’s what he had to say with text via Silver Screen and Roll.
"“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.”"
Seeing the Lakers and the Clippers being the choice for Iguodala shouldn’t be all that surprising. Iguodala wants to win another title, and both the Clippers and the Lakers are in a great position to do so. Due to his history with Rob Pelinka, the Lakers would likely have a bit of an advantage in a potential sweepstakes for Iguodala.
With Iguodala playing in California the last few years with the Warriors, returning to the West Coast would be a comfortable move for him. Since he can still be a good player for a contender, the Grizzlies seem intent on trying to trade Iguodala rather than just buy him out.
However, with a large sum of money due to him this season, trading or buying out Iguodala could be challenging. Teams won’t be all that interested in trading for a player that they believe will be bought out of his contract.
With the Grizzlies being a smaller market team, Iguodala would likely have to forfeit a good amount of his salary if he wants to be bought out badly.
As we saw with the Warriors last season in the playoffs, Iguodala can still play at a high level. With the Clippers and Lakers perhaps destined to clash in the playoffs, Iguodala could end up being a key component for one of the teams.