Doug Collins: Andre Iguodala trade not on the cards – NBA Update
The Philadelphia 76ers coach Doug Collins has dismissed the notion that the franchise is looking to trade Andre Iguodala. Off late, the media has been full of rumours linking the player with a raft of teams.
Andre Iguodala stands 6-foot-6 and averaged over 14 points last season. He is an extremely athletic player and a monster on defence. However, Iguodala is reportedly unhappy at the stagnation in Philadelphia and looking to move on.
According to earlier reports, the Sixers were looking at different options for trading the player. The Golden State Warriors’ Monta Ellis was an reported target while later Chris Kaman of the Los Angeles Clippers surfaced as a likely player to be swapped for Iguodala.
The Kaman talks were seemingly advanced as the Clippers had a spare centre and were looking to add quality to their wings. The Sixers would have liked a good centre and Kaman fitted the bill. However, so far nothing has come out of the talks.
Addressing reporters at a press conference to introduce the Sixers draft picks, Nikola Vucevic and Lavoy Allen, Doug Collins took time to declare his intention of keeping Andre Iguodala at the franchise,
“We want Dre,” Collins said, “We want him back. He got nicked up last year and was hurt and we think Dre is one of the reasons we are a good defensive team.”
Collins rejected reports that the Sixers were using Iguodala as trade bait for some targets,
“Nobody is out there shopping Dre,” Collins said.
Maybe they aren’t, but reports suggest the Sixers are at least talking to whoever wants to take Iguodala. The latest rumours about the player involved a move to the Los Angeles Lakers. A trade involving Andre Iguodala moving in one direction and Los Angeles Lakers’ Lamar Odom in the other was seemingly on the cards before officials ruled it out.
The Sixers don’t believe that trade would represent Iguodala’s real value as the player is much younger and in better condition than the two time NBA World Championship winning Odom.
The Lakers General Manager Mitch Kupchak suggested that the trade rumours were driven by the player’s agent. Many rumours are agent driven and that would only suggest that Iguodala wants to move, as the agent only acts on the player’s behalf.
Still Andre hasn’t come out publicly to demand a trade and he could very well return to the Sixers at the start of next season. A key reason for that is turning out to be Iguodala’s large contract. Not many teams are willing to take it on especially in light of the new CBA which is expected to introduce a lower salary cap.
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