Andre Iguodala joined the Golden State Warriors in 2013 with a four-year, $48 million contract, after turning down the Denver Nuggets, which were willing to offer him a $60 million five-year deal to keep him.
While with the Nuggets, he posted averages of 13.0 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 5.4 assists in his last season with the team, spanning 80 games. His performance impressed the team, which wanted to keep him, according to Afro Tech.
However, Iguodala had other ambitions. He wanted to leave the team after the expiration of his contract and become a free agent. In a bid to entice him to stay, he was offered a $60 million five-year deal, with $52 million guaranteed, according to ESPN. However, he rejected the offer.
Once he became a free agent, he got offers from the Sacramento Kings and the Golden States Warriors. The Kings offered him a $52 million four-year deal, while the Golden State Warriors offered $48 million for the same timeframe.
He reportedly did not respond promptly to the offer of the Kings which led them to withdraw their offer and he also turned down the Nuggets because he felt he deserved more from them because of his performance statistics.
“When I came out or I’m going to my free agency… I’m comparing all my good numbers, whether it’s how many games I’m winning based on the the team I got, how many points, assists, rebounds combined I got,” he said on the “7PM in Brooklyn with Carmelo Anthony & The Kid Mero” podcast, according to Afro Tech.
“I’m in the top five in the league [for] steals. I’m always top five in the league… So, you got to be able to pull different numbers to put yourself in the position because you’re negotiating, and they trying to pay you as less as possible.”
Iguodala’s decision to be with Golden State paid off, as he went on to win four NBA titles and was named the NBA Finals MVP in 2015, according to ESPN. He subsequently announced his retirement from the game in a press release in 2023 after 19 seasons.
The former NBA was once asked why he took less money to be with Golden State. He said, “I didn’t see as more [money] It may be more from the team [perspective], but I didn’t see it as more from here because it was guaranteed.”
“When you say unguaranteed, it may sound bigger, but it’s not really bigger. Kind of like football. So, sitting down with my people, we saw a different thing than that,” he said, according to The Denver Post.
