Nobody would blame the Los Angeles Lakers if they weren’t too worried about adding to their team as they currently sit atop the National Basketball Association with a 14-2 record, riding their second seven-game winning streak of the young season. But being that they are trying to a win a championship, finding some more talent would be prudent. But if that talent is exiled Memphis Grizzlies forward Andre Iguodala, the evidence is mounting that would have to happen via trade.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski recently discussed the message the Grizzlies have been sending the Lakers and the rest of the NBA that they will need to trade for Iguodala if they want add him to the team.
Transcribed by Christian Rivas at Silver Screen and Roll:
“He’s still a member of the Memphis Grizzlies, and the message that Memphis has been delivering to the entire league, to teams who would love to get him, especially for the postseason. The Clippers, the Lakers, the Houston Rockets, you’re going to have to trade for him. We are not buying him out. He is not going to be on the free agent market. And I think the date of Dec. 15 will be an important day for Andre Iguodala. That is when the summer’s free agents, almost 40% of the players in the league are eligible to be traded. Now you can get more creative with deals. At 35 years old he is fine sitting right now, taking a look at what the marketplace is going to look like, preserving his body, but Iguodala is a player, who Memphis is telling people ‘you’re not going to get him in a contract buyout.’”
This latest update is just the latest in a steady stream of reports about Memphis not wanting to just give Iguodala away to a would-be contender. If they want him for a playoff run this season, it will cost a team an asset to get him. If it wasn’t clear enough before, it should be clearer now: the 2015 Finals MVP won’t be a gift for the league at the cost of the Grizzlies long-term plans.
