Lakers Rumors: Western Conference to keep Andre Iguodala from Lakers?
By Ronald Agers
There are Los Angeles Lakers rumors that Western Conference teams could try to block the Rob Pelinka/Andre Iguodala reunion. Could it be done? Who are the teams? Lake Show Life investigates!
Los Angeles Lakers rumors have been relatively quiet recently. As of this writing, the Los Angeles Lakers sit at the top of the NBA world with the best record of 11-2 after defeating the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday night. After that win, the Lakers are sitting on a four-game winning streak and completely put the opening night LA Clippers debacle in the past.
Only one thing, the Los Angeles Lakers aren’t satisfied. They want more. That more is a player whose rights belong to the Memphis Grizzlies, but his heart is few hours south of San Francisco. That player is Andre Iguodala, the player believed to be the “X-factor” to many teams around the time the postseason gears up.
While he waits at home waiting for Memphis to either find him a new home via a trade or a buyout, he is resting his body from those five seasons of marathon runs with the Warriors. An energized Iguodala could swing the balance of power in a wide-open NBA where a good number of teams are above .500. Plus with surprising teams floundering like Brooklyn and Portland, that number of contenders could increase.
The mission statement of the Lakers’ front office led by Rob Pelinka was clear when they finally landed Anthony Davis to team with LeBron James. Fill the roster with veteran shooters and defenders and do it as cheap as possible.
The Lakers are banking on Iguodala wanting to stay in California and Rob Pelinka’s ability to close the deal considering that he was Iguodala’s former agent.
At the time that Iguodala dropped this shot in the NBA Finals last year, no one in the NBA thought that a player like Iguodala, who is a 3-time NBA champion, a 2015 Finals MVP based on his performance slowing down LeBron James and a guy that is capable of knocking down huge shots in big moments, would be available.
https://twitter.com/warriors/status/1135377203292545025
The one thing Andre Iguodala brings to this franchise is professionalism and credibility that commands respect. Plus, he’s not afraid to shoot the ball in crunch time. This happened only months ago.
With all rumors and reports points to the Los Angeles Lakers as Iggy’s destination, which would make so much sense for veteran forward. What gives?
The Memphis Grizzlies have a strange way of dealing with Iguodala according to Sean Deveney of Heavy.com.
"Memphis plans to wait on a buyout with Iguodala until February’s trade deadline. The Grizzlies are still holding out hope that a trade can be worked out and have been holding firm on their asking price of a first-round pick. If not, Iguodala will be cut loose from Memphis and free to sign with whomever he chooses—around the league, that’s expected to be the Lakers."
Let’s take at the red flags of this quote. The first red flag is that Memphis actually believes that any GM in the NBA that wants to keep his job will give up a first-round pick for an aging player that makes over $17 million for this season.
The second red flag is that it is believed around the league that Iguodala will choose the Los Angeles Lakers. Okay, so?
The Memphis brass knows that other Western Conference contenders would love to acquire Iguodala for two reasons. One, to keep him away from a LeBron-led Lakers team and two, be able to use him to stop him like he did with the Warriors back in 2015.
One anonymous NBA exec breaks it down to Heavy.com.
"“He’s got more value in the West,” said the GM. “I can’t see a team in the East moving for him. He has the experience guarding LeBron and that’s what you want out of him. That and you want to keep him off the Lakers, you want their bench to be a weak spot. He doesn’t have those same kinds of good matchups in the East. You don’t want to put him on Giannis (Antetokounmpo) in a seven-game series, for sure.”"
A few NBA teams believe they can get lightning in a bottle the Warriors caught in 2015. When Steve Kerr convinced him to take the sixth man role when the Warriors started their dynasty. Then in the NBA Finals, Iguodala was ready when he was inserted into the starting lineup.
Can it actually happen? Let’s see what’s going on with various teams in the Western Conference that could affect the Lakers.