Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr expressed his sadness about having to release forward Andre Iguodala this offseason, but he acknowledged that it was a good move for the Dubs to acquire D'Angelo Russell.
Kerr admits that letting go of Iguodala to make room for Russell “makes perfect sense” for the team, though he emphasized that losing one of his key players will “sting for a long time” on a personal level.
“I have the ultimate faith in Bob [Myers] and his staff. If you just look at it on paper, we went from a 35-year-old star player who’s got a year or two left to a 23-year-old talent who has a long career ahead of him. That makes perfect sense,” Kerr said on The Warriors Insider Podcast (h/t Monte Poole of NBC Sports).
“I’m not ever going to argue with that. And I agree in the long term that it’s a good move. But having said that, just on a personal level, that one will sting for a long time.”
Iguodala was a fan favorite in the Bay Area. He spent six years with Golden State and was a key piece in bringing home all three of the championships during the Warriors dynasty.
It might hurt Dubs fans, but Kerr is right. Russell is an All-Star who will bring much-needed firepower to the depleted Warriors team. Without him, the team would struggle to score with Kevin Durant bolting to Brooklyn and Klay Thompson likely out for the season.
Iguodala had an amazing run with Golden State, and the fan base will love him forever. Russell might never attain the same cult status, but he can help the Warriors win some games and surprise the league in 2019-20.
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