Andre Iguodala
When the Nuggets acquired Iguodala in the blockbuster trade that sent Dwight Howard to the Lakers, things were looking good. Iggy had just helped his 76ers beat the first seed Chicago Bulls in the first round of the playoffs and was playing on the 2012 Olympic team.
The team went on to have its best season in franchise history, winning 57 games, good enough for the three seed in the Western Conference. However, the season ended abruptly. The Nuggets were upset by the Golden State Warriors in six games, ultimately leading to George Karl’s firing.
That series also featured off-the-court drama. The Warriors then-head coach Mark Jackson accused Karl of telling his players to play overly aggressive on Stephen Curry, indicating that he had a source within the team. Karl says “no question” that the mole was Iguodala. Furthermore, Iggy’s family sat by the Warriors bench during the series and indicated to the team that he was interested in a move to the Bay Area.
Iguodala opted out of his contract with the Nuggets, signing with the Warriors for less than what Denver could offer.
The rest is history. Last season Steve Kerr moved Iguodala to the bench, but brought him back to the starting lineup in the Finals. He shut down LeBron James and was named Finals MVP, becoming the first player to win the award without starting a game in the regular season.
Verdict: While he still played well in the series, the way Iguodala treated the end of his time in Denver left a sour impression for many fans. While keeping him a Nugget may have prevented the rebuild the team now finds itself in, there may not have been much the team could have done to resign him.
