With Thursday's NBA trade deadline just days away, former Warriors forward Andre Iguodala finally is expected to see his situation with the Memphis Grizzlies come to a resolution.
The assumption is that the 2015 NBA Finals MVP will be traded. And if the Grizzlies can't strike a deal, a buyout will be reached.
But not so fast.
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As Marc Stein of The New York Times tweeted Monday morning:
This confirms what Kevin O'Connor of The Ringer reported in December: "As much as the Lakers would love for Iguodala to get bought out, I’m told there’s no world in which that happens. The Grizzlies will trade Iguodala -- it’s only a matter of when and to whom."
The Grizzlies, obviously, want everybody to think this in order to receive some legit offers.
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Iguodala and Memphis would need to agree to terms on a buyout by March 1 in order for him to be eligible for the playoffs with another team.
“At this point, the only buyout that makes sense -- if I’m speaking on someone else’s behalf, thinking as an agent -- is you don’t leave money on the table,” Iguodala told NBC Sports Bay Area's Monte Poole back in September. “Especially in this league. Because you’ll never get it back, no matter what people say.
"Negotiations are a tactic, so you’ve got to be careful how you approach it, or how you verbalize what you would do going forward. But you can’t leave anything on the table.”
Perhaps his tune will change some in late February.
It would be pretty wild if there's no trade or buyout, and the 36-year-old ends up suiting up for the Grizzlies in the postseason (Memphis would be the No. 8 seed in the West if the season ended today).
[RELATED: Report: Dubs want draft picks in D-Lo trade with T-Wolves]
Iguodala will be a free agent this summer and is not planning on retiring.
And yes, a future reunion with the Warriors remains a distinct possibility.
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Programming Note: The "2020 NBA Trade Deadline Show" is coming your way this Thursday at 11:30am on the MyTeams app and on NBCSportsBayArea.com! Our NBA Insiders will analyze all of the news and rumors that could impact the Warriors heading into the Noon deadline. Don’t miss it!
