Lakers Rumors: Western Conference to keep Andre Iguodala from Lakers?
By Ronald Agers
Memphis wants picks. It seems Dallas, Portland and Denver have what the Grizz really needs.
The Los Angeles Lakers only can get Andre Iguodala if he gets bought out. The game is over. They simply have no assets. There are contenders out there that know it and those contenders have what the Lakers don’t. A first-round draft pick plus contracts to line up the trade.
Let’s relive the Lakers quandary here.
The problem lies in the fact that they can’t match the money to trade with Memphis for players that they would want. Lake Show Life released the only two players under contract that ANY team would want on the roster. The asking price of a first-rounder for Iguodala makes the Lakers a non-factor via trade.
They owe first-round picks to New Orleans in 2021 and 2024 as the price for getting Anthony Davis this offseason. In short, it means they can’t trade picks between those years, or in 2025 because of the NBA’s “Stepien Rule.” It was laid out in detail by Pelicans’ insider David Grubb early in the negotiations.
The Lakers also owe their second-rounders for the next three drafts to other teams. There’s just not a trade package that would make Memphis pick up the phone without acting like former Pelicans GM Dell Demps.
According to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, the Denver Nuggets have the ammunition to make a trade for Iggy. It makes sense considering he played for the franchise in the past.
"The Nuggets have six free agents next summer, and Jamal Murray‘s max contract coming on the books. Not only are they in win-now mode but they might not be able to retain all those players, and it could give them incentive and options to use in a deal — namely young prospects such as Malik Beasley or Juan Hernangomez, who are headed for restricted free agency."
With Memphis going into rebuild mode, the Grizzlies could use Iguodala’s contract and flip it for multiple players aligning the salaries. Would the Denver Nuggets give up the first-round pick? That’s debatable, but the Nuggets and Memphis know that they both facing allowing players to walk away without compensation. There’s motivation there.
They are not alone in the race for Iguodala.