Reports: Grizzlies agree to let Iguodala stay home
Andre Iguodala will not report to the Memphis Grizzlies' training camp as he and the team continue to work toward his expected exit from the team.
The Daily Memphian first reported the story Monday, and ESPN.com confirmed it.
The Golden State Warriors traded Iguodala and a protected first-round draft pick to Memphis on July 7 in exchange for forward Julian Washburn.
Multiple media outlets have reported that the Grizzlies do not intend to buy out the $17.2 million that Iguodala is owed this year in the final season of his three-year, $48 million contract, instead looking to find another team willing to trade for the three-time NBA champion and 2015 NBA Finals MVP.
The 35-year-old veteran will continue to work out separately from the Grizzlies but might remain on their roster into the regular season, according to the Daily Memphian.
Iguodala told NBC Sports Bay Area on Monday regarding his status with Memphis, "We'll see. OK, maybe I shouldn't say we'll see. But we're trying to figure out things on both sides. They're trying to figure out some things, and I'm trying to figure out some things. As of today, we're on the same page. Camp opens the next week. We'll see. We're on the same page, though."
He added, "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. 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."
Iguodala, an All-Star in 2012 when he played for the Philadelphia 76ers, was part of five consecutive NBA Finals teams with Golden State. Last season, he averaged 5.7 points, 3.7 rebounds and 3.2 assists in 68 games (13 starts). For his career, he is averaging 12.1 points, 5.1 rebounds and 4.4 assists in 1,108 games (779 starts).
Philadelphia made him the ninth overall pick in the 2004 draft out of Arizona, and he played for the 76ers through the 2011-12 season.
--Field Level Media
