Bob Myers helped build a Warriors dynasty, but trading Andre Iguodala forced him to confront the personal cost of keeping it alive.
Bob Myers made countless high-pressure decisions while constructing the Golden State Warriors’ championship teams. None was more difficult than telling Andre Iguodala that his time with the organization was over.
During an appearance with Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady, the former Warriors general manager identified trading Iguodala in 2019 as the hardest basketball decision of his front-office career.
“Trading Iguodala,” Myers said. “We had to trade a guy who’d won three championships with the team to sign D’Angelo Russell.”
Golden State sent Iguodala and a protected first-round pick to the Memphis Grizzlies as part of the complicated series of transactions that allowed the Warriors to acquire Russell in a sign-and-trade with the Brooklyn Nets.
The move helped Golden State avoid losing Kevin Durant without receiving anything in return. It also required Myers to discard one of the most important players in franchise history.
Iguodala Was More Than a Role Player
Iguodala joined the Warriors in 2013 and became essential to their transformation into a dynasty.
July 11, 2013; Oakland, CA, USA;AndreIguodala (left) addresses the media as Golden StateWarriorsgeneral managerBobMyers(right) looks on in a press conference after a sign-and-trade deal for Iguodala to become a Golden StateWarriorsplayer at theWarriorsPractice Facility. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY SportsHe accepted a reserve role before the 2014-15 season despite being an established starter throughout his career. That sacrifice gave Golden State the versatility to use its smaller “Death Lineup” and helped establish a selfless culture around Stephen Curry.
Iguodala’s willingness to defend the opponent’s best scorer, facilitate the offense and contribute without demanding shots made him an ideal postseason player. He was named NBA Finals MVP in 2015 after helping the Warriors defeat LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers.
By 2019, Iguodala had helped Golden State win three championships and reach five consecutive NBA Finals.
That history made the trade call especially painful for Myers. Iguodala understood that Memphis was rebuilding and had no immediate intention of competing for a championship.
“As far as a player handling a tough thing, I’ve never seen one do it as well as he did,” Myers said.
The Move Eventually Helped Golden State
The Russell experiment did not last long. Golden State traded him to the Minnesota Timberwolves in February 2020 for a package headlined by Andrew Wiggins and a future first-round selection.
Wiggins became a crucial part of the Warriors’ 2022 championship team, while the draft pick became Jonathan Kuminga. Iguodala also returned to Golden State in 2021 and won a fourth championship with the franchise.
That eventual outcome does not diminish the difficulty of Myers’ original decision.
Executives are often evaluated through trades, contracts and championships. Myers’ comments offered a reminder that those transactions also involve relationships built over years.
Trading Iguodala was defensible from a roster-building perspective and ultimately helped extend Golden State’s window. For Myers, however, telling a respected veteran and three-time champion that he had to leave remained the most painful part of the job.
