LA Clippers Rumors: Andre Iguodala likely to be moved before deadline
The Memphis Grizzlies are fixated on moving Andre Iguodala, and according to rumors, the LA Clippers are in the mix to land the veteran forward.
It’s officially trade season, and veteran forward Andre Iguodala is set to be one of the top prizes available to title contenders. The LA Clippers are in that mix of teams, and according to rumors, they could be one of the main suitors.
Per The Athletic’s Omari Sankofa II, the Memphis Grizzlies are “certain” that Iguodala will be moved before the trade deadline in February and have already engaged teams in trade discussions. Sankofa states that there is “confidence” that Memphis will receive a first-round pick or a promising young player in a package for the 35-year-old wing.
On top of that, ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne said the Clippers — not the Los Angeles Lakers — are the favorites to finish the season with him on the roster.
Previously, it was anticipated that Iguodala would be bought out by the Grizzlies and free to choose his next, potentially final destination. However, that’s changed since the season began. Memphis instead wants a trade, and their demands are realistic. Even at 35, Iguodala is an excellent three-and-D option with plenty of playmaking ability.
His place on the roster isn’t immediately clear, as the Clippers have done well with Maurice Harkless this season, who plays a similar role. Harkless could be moved back to the bench in favor of Iguodala to bolster the second unit’s defense and potentially upgrade the starting five, but the disparity between the two is difficult to project since Iguodala hasn’t suited up for Memphis yet this year.
The Lakers could be more desperate to land Iguodala, as he would add to their already-solid defense and give them another player to throw at the likes of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. That alone could be enough reason for the Clippers to try to pry him away from their intracity rivals.
The Clippers do have their first-round pick to offer in 2020 as well as some young assets. They could supply either depending on what Memphis prefers. However, Iguodala is set to make over $17 million this year, which complicates things a bit. LA could potentially end up overpaying for him because of other competitive offers.
The best-case scenario for the Clippers would be for Iguodala to get bought out, but that just isn’t realistic anymore.
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Regardless of what happens, the Iguodala sweepstakes are far from over. So long as he’s in Memphis, the LA Clippers will be tied-in with any trade speculation.