In a stunning turn of events, the Golden State Warriors were able to convince the Brooklyn Nets to do a sign-and-trade involving All-Stars Kevin Durant and D'Angelo Russell. However, what surprised many — including a lot of Dubs fans — was the fact that Andre Iguodala had to be sent to the Memphis Grizzlies as part of the deal.
Iguodala has been a vital part of the Warriors' dynasty that won three championships in the last five years, so some people were in disbelief after knowing that the 2015 Finals MVP is going to be traded.
According to reports though, Iguodala has already been informed by the Warriors as early as last week that he could be traded in the event that Durant decides to leave the team.
Andre Iguodala was informed by Warriors early last week that he could be traded to unload salary in event Kevin Durant moved on, league sources told Yahoo Sports. Today’s trade to Memphis wasn’t a shock.
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) July 1, 2019
But if you think that trading Iguodala was easy for the Warriors, you're wrong.




If you need any reminder that the NBA is a business, the Warriors trading Andre Iguodala to Memphis to clear out room for DLo is it. There’s deep sadness in Golden State at the prospect of this group w/out him. He’s held in extremely high regard by the staff & players.
— Ramona Shelburne (@ramonashelburne) July 1, 2019
The Warriors needed to trade Iguodala so that they don't end up with nothing after Durant's departure. Moreover, Golden State's core is getting older, so acquiring Russell and keeping him over the next four years is a logical move.
The Grizzlies have two options regarding Iggy. They can decide to keep him and let him become the veteran leader of the young team, or they can waive and allow him to join a championship contending team.
Iguodala has earned the love and respect of Warriors fans, and that's something that will never change. Nonetheless, even if both sides decided to part ways, no one will ever take away the legacy they have built together over the past five years.