July 7th, 2019
Andre Iguodala is traded from the Warriors to the Grizzlies.
In a move that at first seems confusing, the Warriors traded one of their key pieces to their former dynasty away for Julian Washburn. However, the Warriors knew that they were losing Kevin Durant, and so instead of losing him and getting nothing, they opted in for a sign-and-trade with the Brooklyn Nets for D’Angelo Russel. Iguodala was let go to make space for this trade to happen. One of the key pieces to the huge threat you imposed on the entire league, and you gave him away for nothing.
The move didn’t sit well with Iguodala.
Warriors Co-Chairman and CEO, Joe Lacob, did announce in an official NBA.com release that the team plans to retire Iguodala’s jersey, but the honor loses some of its weight when you think about how his career ended in Oakland.
Still, things looked bright. A buyout was expected, and Iguodala could finish his career wherever it was he wanted.