Report: Rockets interested in Andre Iguodala if he’s bought out by Grizzlies

The Houston Rockets are reportedly interested in Andre Iguodala if the Memphis Grizzlies elect to buy out the former Finals MVP.

After the clock struck 6 PM Eastern Time on Sunday, the landscape of the NBA literally changed over the course of just a few hours. We saw Kevin Durant move on from the dynasty that he helped create in Golden State and sign with the Brooklyn Nets, who was joined by Kyrie Irving. Kemba Walker also decided to leave the Charlotte Hornets in favor of the Boston Celtics. Unfortunately for Rockets fans, Jimmy Butler is expected to go to Miami as part of a three-team deal.

KD actually forced a sign-and-trade to Brooklyn, and as a result, the Warriors will receive D’Angelo Russell. With the Warriors being over the cap, they had to unload salary elsewhere to make the deal work, so they traded Andre Iguodala to the Memphis Grizzlies.

The Grizzlies, a team that traded away both of its best players in Marc Gasol and Mike Conley, are gathering up young players and draft picks, signaling they are in the beginning of a rebuild. In that case, they don’t have much use for Andre Iguodala, whose playing time could stifle the development of other younger players. As a result, the Grizzlies might pursue a buyout with Iguodala.

If and when Andre Iguodala becomes a free agent, the Rockets will likely pursue the 15-year veteran, according to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon.

Rockets would be among the teams with strong interest in Andre Iguodala if he receives a buyout from the Grizzlies, per sources.

— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) July 1, 2019

Iguodala, who is 35 years old, is in the last phase of his career, but he can still play at a high level. Iggy averaged 13.5 points on 48 percent shooting from 3-point range in the 2019 Western Conference Semifinals against the Rockets and he played well throughout the entire postseason. On the defensive end, Iguodala was arguably Golden State’s best perimeter defender over the last six seasons, even with All-Defensive team talents like Draymond Green and Klay Thompson as teammates.

Although, I’d imagine that other contenders like the Lakers and many other teams will also be very interested in signing Iguodala, so Daryl Morey will definitely have his work cut out for him.