Andre Iguodala doesn’t make sense for the Sixers
While an undeniably talented player, Andre Iguodala doesn’t have a concrete niche in the Philadelphia 76ers’ plans moving forward.
With free agency looming, this offseason presents an entirely new set of expectations for a Philadelphia 76ers team that is rapidly trending towards competitiveness. With Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons healthy and joined by Markelle Fultz in the starting rotation, the Sixers are building towards the playoffs, a stark departure from the asset accumulation that was often stressed during the earlier stages of The Process.
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With that change in philosophy, though, comes a change in team needs. A competitive roster needs veterans, as well as more polished depth in the rotation. Regardless of overall talent, the NBA isn’t conducive to winning without experience gracing the roster in some capacity. That means the Sixers will enter free agency with the intent of signing older players, which unravels and entirely new set of challenges for Bryan Colnagelo and the rest of the front office.
They’ll now need to find the proper balance between talent acquisition and financial flexibility. Joel Embiid and Robert Covington will be up for an extension in the coming season, while that of Simmons and Dario Saric will rapidly follow. The Sixers will need to have enough cap room to retain their core while still venturing out a attaining viable contributors elsewhere in the rotation.
That’s what makes rumors about the Sixers’ interest in J.J. Redick and Andre Iguodala so conflicting. There’s obvious benefits to both players joining the rotation, yet both will command sizable contracts over as many years as possible. The solution is to, ideally, sign them to a one or two year max contract. Whether or not that’s feasible is a different matter.
It then comes down to a player’s impact, and whether or not the benefits they provide outweigh the inevitable cost. Redick, for example, gives the Sixers one of the five best shooters in the NBA. That’s a massive spacing boost to a young core that’s is desperate need of more room to operate. Fultz, Simmons and Embiid all are at their best when there’s shooting around them, and Redick gives them a consistent pipeline in the starting group.
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That’s the type of unmatchable benefit that’s worth shelling out big money.
Iguodala is a different situation, though. He’ll likely need just as much as Redick — essentially, a max deal — to be lured away from Golden State, meaning the Sixers would need to commit to him as a sizable contributor for the foreseeable future.
Perhaps the greatest knock on his fit comes in the form of Robert Covington. While not nearly as polished as a playmaker, Covington brings the floor spacing and elite perimeter defense needed to play valuable minutes on a competitive unit. Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot is quickly trending in that direction as well, while the Frenchman also has the secondary passing touch and offensive instincts needed to fill an almost Iguodala-esque role in time.
Capping your future finances on a veteran whose presence isn’t outright necessary in the rotation is a haphazard gamble.
Iguodala’s game also doesn’t bring the same upside that an addition of Redick’s ilk may provide. While clearly the better all-around talent, Iggy doesn’t space the floor nearly as well. He’ll help promote ball movement while giving the Sixers another medium for playmaking, which does have inherent value in today’s league. But he’s also a league average shooter, while his impact is likely to dip at an increasing rate as his athleticism continues to drain. He’ll always be a smart player, but he’s not a knockdown shooter, nor does his game boast the longevity that Redick’s does.
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That’s a marginal comparison between only two different free agents, but it does touch base on many of the key points that Bryan Colangelo needs to consider when sifting through potential targets.
Iguodala spent eight years with the Sixers, many of which yielded All-Star caliber seasons. The sentimental value is clearly high. That can’t cloud people’s perception of his game, though, especially when considering just how important these next few seasons are for Philadelphia.
How they’re able to keep their core in tact and build around them with determine not only the success of The Process, but eventually determine whether or not they’re capable of competing for a championship at some point during the lifespan of this team.
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A healthy Embiid, Simmons and Fultz has the potential to compete at a high level for the next 13 years. Moves they make now, however, could influence whether or not they’re able to sustain success for that long. It’s a difficult decision — and Iguodala is one heck of a player — but he simply doesn’t bring what’s needed to justify the risk in signing him. Not for max, or near-max, money, that is.