Trade Iguodala Now

Philadelphia 76ers fans (or whatever is left of them) always have mixed opinions on Andre Iguodala. Some think that he is under appreciated, while others think that he is overrated. Many believe that he is overpaid, while others think his contract is justified. But the fact is that he will be making over $12 million each of the next four seasons.

There is no denying that Iguodala is a good player. He can score, shoot, pass, and play defense. But while his defensive game should never be called into question, his offense game should. Iguodala has the mindset that he is a top-flight scorer. It was clear when Iverson returned that Iguodala kept chucking up shots, to try to get the point across that Philadelphia is his team. He may technically be the best player on the team, but that is why they have the #2 pick.

Barring a disaster, Evan Turner will be in Philadelphia. Iguodala should not take his development away. By the time the 76ers can actually become good, Iguodala’s contract will be up anyway. He is just preventing other players from reaching their potential. Iguodala has reached his, and it’s nothing better than being an all-star caliber player. He would work better on a team with stars above him, so Iguodala could know his role, and only do what he is good at doing.

Clearly, the 76ers need to rebuild. Jrue Holiday has potential to be good, but it is too soon to tell. Thaddeus Young does not mesh well with Iguodala, so one needs to be dealt. Dalembert is (thankfully) entering the last year of his contract. Speights seemed to look worse last year, especially after his injury. This team needs to just reboot itself, and trade away all the long-term deals that it can.

Philadelphia management doesn’t get anything right, but hopefully they do here. Trade Iguodala while he still has value.

by David Omansky at the Sports Fan Blog Network