One name that has been attached to the Los Angeles Lakers since the 2019 NBA offseason is Andre Iguodala.
When Iguodala was traded by the Golden State Warriors to the Memphis Grizzlies, it was assumed the latter would buy out the former NBA Finals MVP and he was immediately linked to the Lakers.
However, the Grizzlies had other plans. They recognized there was a market for Iguodala and insisted they deal him and receive assets back as opposed to letting him go for nothing. Their mindset apparently has not wavered since but as the 2019-20 NBA trade deadline approached, there were still some questions as to whether or not they would strike a deal.
Ultimately, the Grizzlies were able to find a deal that they liked, agreeing to trade Iguodala to the Miami Heat, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN:
Memphis has agreed to a deal to send Andre Iguodala to Miami, league source tells ESPN. Iguodala agreed to trade and has agreed to a two-year, $30M extension with Miami.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 6, 2020
The Grizzlies were right in their assessment of Iguodala’s value. Even though he is in the final stretch of his career, he showed during the 2019 NBA playoffs that he can still bring a lot to a team with championship aspirations. The Lakers wanting to bring him in makes perfect sense, but they always needed him to be bought out, which wasn’t going to be the case.
Now joining the Heat, Iguodala will be a difference-maker. He is still a great on-ball defender who can guard multiple positions while also providing value as a secondary playmaker and passer. Combined with his championship experience after appearing in five consecutive NBA Finals and it is obvious why he was so coveted.
There are still other options for the Lakers to improve their team, but the slim hopes of landing Iguodala can finally be put to rest.