Andre Iguodala
7.3 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 3.4 APG, 52% FG, 36.4% 3pt FG%
And now to our final target. Iguodala has been a personal favorite of mine for quite some time now. Like Ingles, Iggy can make great passes for a wing, rebound, create his own shot, play lock-down defense, and play with a high I.Q.
Unlike ‘Slo ‘Mo Joe, Iguodala can turn the jets on in the open court to finish some electrifying dunks, and relies more on his slashing ability than spotting up for a three.
https://twitter.com/warriors/status/846847851665678336
Iguodala was a key factor in the Warriors winning the 2015 NBA Championship entering the starting lineup in the NBA Finals after coming off the bench the whole season. Rather than having Andrew Bogut be the center, Steve Kerr elected to go with four guys who could exclusively guard multiple positions and switch when defending the pick and roll, and Steph Curry.
Iggy has shown a team-first mentality and will make whatever sacrifices are necessary for the team to win. With Steph Curry AND Kevin Durant approaching free agency this summer, the Warriors might not be able to pay them adequately while retaining Iguodala, an unrestricted free agent.
If Iggy were to leave the Bay, I would be ecstatic for him to sign with the Jazz and become the most thrilling player to watch on the roster with his crafty passes and electrifying dunks. Chances are that Quin Snyder would love to coach Iggy, as an adequate floor spacer and good defender. Not to mention his 93 career playoff games (not counting this year), Iggy would be a great veteran to mentor the young Jazz core.
So while it’s easy and fun to imagine these guys playing in a Jazz uniform next season, the best and most likely outcome is that Joe Ingles remains a Jazzman, keeping an Australian connection for 21-year-old Dante Exum and the team chemistry he’s built in his three seasons with the Jazz.
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I remember how easy-going Joe was at media day when asked on his potentially diminished role for the Jazz this season, he made it clear that he will make personal sacrifices to help the team win. I can see him taking a similar approach in free agency this year, perhaps bypassing some lucrative offers to make it easy for the Jazz to keep him in a role he’s earned this year.
If Ingles doesn’t decide to go that route and looks for his biggest NBA payday at age 29, the Jazz can always match his offer sheet because he’s a restricted free agent, so that further improves Utah’s chances of retaining him. Here’s to many more years of this comedic Australian playing with the Jazz!
*(Unless otherwise noted, all stats a courtesy of basketball-reference.com and nba.com)