NBA Rumors: Nuggets Could Sacrifice 1st-Round Pick To Acquire Andre Iguodala From Grizzlies
Though he’s currently an official member of their roster, Andre Iguodala isn’t expected to play a single game with the Memphis Grizzlies in the 2019-20 NBA season. Having a veteran mentor with plenty of championship experience would undeniably be beneficial for the Grizzlies’ young core. However, at this point in his NBA career, Iguodala would definitely prefer to spend his remaining years in the league playing for a legitimate title contender.
Unfortunately, as of now, the Grizzlies continue to insist that they have no plan of letting Andre Iguodala walk away as an unrestricted free agent, believing that there will be teams who are willing to throw away valuable assets for the veteran small forward before the 2020 February trade deadline. According to Andy Bailey of Bleacher Report, one of the teams who may consider trading for Iguodala is the Denver Nuggets.
In the proposed trade deal by Bleacher Report, the Nuggets would be sending a trade package including Mason Plumlee and a 2022 first-round pick to the Grizzlies in exchange for Andre Iguodala. The deal works on ESPN‘s NBA trade machine.
“Denver has the kind of depth and salary-matching assets to pull off a trade. Most of the speculation regarding Iguodala and the Nuggets has centered on Will Barton, but let’s get a little weirder (while still making sense). Iguodala for Mason Plumlee and a future first-round pick doesn’t require any additional salary filler. And although that may leave Denver’s depth chart fairly shallow at center, this roster can more than survive that. Nikola Jokic should play well over 30 minutes per game, leaving 14-15 for backup 5s.”
Though they are not his preferred landing spot, being traded to the Nuggets would still give Andre Iguodala a realistic chance of contending for the NBA championship this season. Iguodala no longer needs to make himself comfortable in Denver since he already experienced playing for the Nuggets in the 2012-13 season. The potential acquisition of Iguodala would help the Nuggets address their lack of playoff experience.
Andre Iguodala may already be on the downside of his NBA career, but he would be a key contributor for the Nuggets in the postseason. Aside from being a legitimate threat from beyond the arc, the Nuggets could also task Andre Iguodala to guard the opposing team’s best player.
Meanwhile, the deal is a no-brainer for the Grizzlies. In exchange for Andre Iguodala, they would be acquiring a future draft pick that would enable them to add another young and promising talent on their roster. With Mason Plumlee’s contract set to expire after the season, the deal won’t have any effect on the Grizzlies’ salary cap flexibility for the summer of 2020.
