Andre Iguodala had a fairly simple explanation for how he got $48 million guaranteed from the Golden State Warriors.
Iguodala, who was not expected to get that much if he returned to Golden State, explained that it came about very simply — he took every interested party seriously and didn’t use people for leverage.
“When you’re going through free agency — not to give away a gem — but I think it’s important that you take every situation seriously,” Iguodala told NBATV Sunday, via Drew Shiller of NBC Sports Bay Area. “I think sometimes guys get in trouble when they try to use leverage with another team, and they don’t think they’re ever gonna go there but they try to use them as leverage — I never take that approach.
“Whenever I take a meeting or have an opportunity with another organization, I take it very seriously as if I have a chance of going there or I am gonna go there. You just see how things play out. You weigh your options. It’s the business of it and you have to respect it. So I try to do that to the best of my ability.”
Iguodala received a lot of free agent interest, and it looked as though there was a real possibility he’d leave Golden State. None of it looked like a leverage play, and the Warriors were content to pay up as a result.
