WARRIORS

Andre Iguodala Retires After 19 NBA Seasons

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Andre Iguodala has officially retired from the NBA after 19 seasons. “Time started to get limited for me and I didn’t want to put anything in the back seat. I didn’t want to have to try to delegate time anymore. Especially with on the court, off the court with family. A lot. You want to play at a high level. But then family is a lot. My son is 16 and then two girls. So, [I’m] looking forward to seeing them grow up in those important years,” Iguodala told Marc J. Spears of Andscape.

Iguodala was drafted 9th overall by the Sixers in 2004 following two seasons of college ball at Arizona. He stayed in Philly until 2012 before being traded to the Nuggets. However, Iguodala’s most successful tenure would come in a six-year tenure with the Warriors. After signing with Golden State in 2013, Iguodala became a core member of the team’s late 2010s dynasty. He won four rings alongside Draymond Green and the Splash Brothers. He was a free agent at the time of his retirement, having been released by the Warriors after a second stint with the team between 2021 and 2023.

Read More: Andre Iguodala Claims Jordan Poole Was Lowkey Disrespected By The Warriors

Iguodala’s Retirement Confirms LeBron As League’s Oldest Active Player

With Iguodala officially out of the league, LeBron James stands as the league’s oldest active player. James will turn 39 a few months into his 21st NBA season. That makes him just the seventh player to reach his 21st season. LeBron being LeBron, he had the perfect reaction when told the news earlier this month. After being asked for his reaction to being the oldest player in the league at a Lakers practice, LeBron briefly screamed before sprinting down the court and smoothly dunking.

Furthermore, James isn’t treating this like his final year. He will most likely join Vince Carter as the only players to play 22 seasons thanks to his desire to play at least one season with his son Bronny. With Bronny eligible for the 2024 draft, LeBron will likely hit that historic milestone. However, the question will be if it happens with the Lakers or elsewhere in the NBA.

Read More: LeBron James Shares Relieving News About Bronny’s Chances To Play For USC

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WNBA Announces Warriors-Owned Bay Area Expansion Team

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The WNBA will expand to 13 teams in 2025 when a new franchise operated by the Golden State Warriors will join the league. It’s the first time that the WNBA has expanded since 2008. However, at this time, there appears to be no plan to add an Eastern Conference franchise to keep the league at an even number of teams. Warriors chairman Joe Lacob, who once owned a franchise in the rival ABL, said the “full force” of the Warriors would be behind the as-yet-unnamed team. Lacob said the team will likely be referred to as “Golden State” but discussions would be had on whether the team would also use the “Warriors” moniker.

“We’re coming in here, number one, to win. Number two, we want to see this league and women’s basketball grow, and we hope to be a big part of it. We think it’s a watershed event for us to come in and commit to it in a big way. We’re going to bring all of our resources. We can put this machine to work, and we’re going to do that,” Lacob told ESPN.

Read More: Angel Reese “Insulted” By ESPN’s WNBA Mock Draft

Warriors Join Race For Aneesah Morrow

With Golden State joining the league in 2025, it sets up a fascinating possibility of the brand-new franchise getting one of the best college prospects in its first year in the league. Like most other American pro leagues, the Warriors will have an expansion draft where they will build their roster from a pool of players already on WNBA rosters. Furthermore, they will also likely be placed into the WNBA draft lottery. During the last expansion in 2008, the Dream ended up with the fourth overall pick, although they later traded it away.

That means the new franchise would be in the running for the consensus #1 pick of 2025 – Aneesah Morrow. Morrow is one of the best players in the nation as she enters her junior year. Barely getting attention out of high school, the Chicago-born player chose to attend nearby DePaul. There she was the heart of the Blue Demons team on both sides of the court. Averaging 23.5 points and 13.0 rebounds a game, Morrow played elite basketball despite rarely finding herself with anything less than a double team on her. She will play her final two years at LSU after joining the Tigers during the offseason.

Read More: Caitlin Clark Still Undecided About Declaring For WNBA Draft

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Golden State Warriors “Close” To Adding Bay Area WNBA Team

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Sources within the Golden State Warriors have told ESPN that the organization is close to securing a WNBA expansion. While the deal is not final yet, sources said it was “expected soon”. The team would play at the Chase Center and be wholly operated by the Warriors. Previously, WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert has stated her desire to add two new teams to the league by 2025. However, no information has emerged about the other potential addition, which would presumably be in the Eastern Conference.

If the Warriors’ deal is finalized, it would mark the first expansion franchise in the WNBA since Atlanta joined the league in 2008. While Engelbert has talked a big game about the desire to expand, there has been little tangible progress. Most recently, the league said they had recently narrowed down a longlist of 200 potential expansion locations. This has proven incredibly frustrating to fans, who have watched sustained growth and expansion in leagues such as soccer’s NWSL. The league, founded in 2012, is due to add two teams in 2024 and another in 2026.

Read More: Angel Reese “Insulted” By ESPN’s WNBA Mock Draft

WNBA Fans Demand Expansion

At the start of the 2023 WNBA season, a number of high-profile cuts reignited the demands for expansion. Charli Collier (#1 pick in 2021), Emily Engstler (#4 in 2022), and Abby Meyers (#11 in 2023) were among the players who have been waived by their teams. The Collier, who has played 45 games over the last two seasons, waive was taken especially hard by fans.

“Another day of WNBA roster cuts, another day of needing WNBA roster expansion. Franchises need spots to develop college talent!!” Gaming Society‘s Matt Ellentuck tweeted. “Expansion is needed. However when there’s only 144 spots we have to be realistic. The gap between being a great NCAA player and a good enough #WNBA player is large. You have a few that come in ready but teams don’t have enough time to try & develop. They need you to be ready now.” argued Women’s Hoopz at the time. Hopefully, fans will be happy with the more definitive news that more teams are coming.

Read More: WNBA Teams Eye Talent In 2024 Draft Class

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Dwight Howard Not Being Signed By The Warriors

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The Golden State Warriors will not be signing veteran big Dwight Howard. Howard, who spent last season playing in Taiwan, spent two days with the Warriors this week. However, Golden State opted not to sign the eight-time All-Star and former first-overall pick. “The Warriors are not expected to sign Dwight Howard or another veteran center ahead of training camp. Howard had a two-day visit with the Warriors this week that included meetings and workouts, but the Warriors are expected now to maintain flexibility to sign a potential big man later in camp or into the regular season,” reported Shams Charania.

Howard is expected to meet with other interested teams next week. Despite this, it appears to be growing increasingly unlikely that Howard will be back in the league this season. Howard’s last NBA action was as part of the Lakers back in 2021. He turns 38 in December. He averaged 6.2 points and 5.9 rebounds per game across 60 games in his last NBA season.

Read More: Dwight Howard compares the teammate vibes of LeBron and Kobe

Howard Eyes The Olympics

Despite his NBA uncertainty, Howard is eager to represent Team USA at the Paris Olympics next year. As the US looks to build a superteam, Howard made it clear that he wanted to be a part of it. Furthermore, he went as far as to say that if he wasn’t selected, he would declare for Taiwan and “drop 85” at the tournament. In the late 2000s, Howard was a go-to pick for the national team. He won Olympic gold medal at Beijing 2008 and World Cup bronze at s well as a World Cup bronze at Japan 2006.

There are just two problems with Howard’s plan. The first is that Taiwanese citizenship requires five years of residency, which Howard doesn’t have. The second is that, eligible or not, Howard would still be watching the Olympics from his home as Taiwan is not able to qualify for the Olympic tournament. Only three teams from Asia and Oceania – New Zealand, Lebanon, and the Philippines – will participate in qualifiers next year for the four remaining Olympic spots.

Read More: Dwight Howard sued by ex-butler

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Andre Iguodala Claims Jordan Poole Was Lowkey Disrespected By The Warriors

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In a recent podcast appearance with JJ Redick, Andre Iguodala spoke about Jordan Poole. Specifically, Iguodala reflected on the less-than-ideal role that Poole had to play for the Warriors. In short, Iguodala summarized that the Warriors were built around Steph, Klay, and Draymond. Poole, who would often play off the bench, was expected to play without the freedom or the eccentricities afforded to the team’s Big Three. If Draymond was having a wild night with errant passes and the like, Poole had to be perfect. If Steph was cold from three, Poole had to be hot. In Iguodala’s eyes, Poole had to play clean-up to whatever the Big Three wasn’t doing on any particular night.

Drafted in 2019 by the Warriors, Poole had four solid seasons with the team. In his final season before being traded to the Wizards, Poole had over 20 points per game. On any other team, Poole would likely have been an instant starter and first-rotation lock. However, it’s always going to be hard to get that consistent playing time with a roster like Golden State’s. Even in his 20.7 ppg season, Poole only started 43 games.

Read More: Nick Young claims Draymond tried to punch him like Jordan Poole

Draymond Green Seemingly Shades Jordan Poole

A lot of the stories over the summer after Poole was traded was the seemingly reignited beef between him and Draymond Green. While Green feuded with Poole’s father on social media, he also appeared to shade his former teammate on TikTok.

In a TikTok for Bleacher Report, Green jumped on the “roster builder challenge”. Essentially, you have to create an NBA roster using one player from five randomly-selected teams. The video started simply enough, with Green choosing Cavs PG Darius Garland and Utah F Lauri Markkanen. Then came the Wizards as Green’s third team. “Who still on Washington’s team?” Green said with a laugh before taking F Kyle Kuzma. Additionally, Green rounded out his team with Damian Lillard (Blazers) and Bam Adebayo (Heat). When asked how they would do, Green argued that “they should win. But they don’t have me, Steph, or Klay. This is an Eastern Conference team. They lose in the Finals to the Warriors.”

Read More: Jordan Poole hits Draymond with Gunna lyrics

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Dwight Howard To Meet With The Golden State Warriors

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The Golden State Warriors will meet with Dwight Howard next week, according to Shams Charania. The Warriors have spent the latter half of the offseason searching for a depth big man. Howard is 37 and has spent the last two years in Taiwan. He last played in the NBA in 2022 following his third stint on the Lakers.

Howard is an eight-time All-Star, last earning the honor in 2014. Furthermore, he has also been named to five All-NBA First Teams, the last coming in 2012. Other players the Warriors have considered adding include Blake Griffin. However, as noted by The Athletic, “Would Howard enter the situation with the correct mindset? If he doesn’t play for two straight weeks, would he be fine with that? If they tell him to rebound, remain physical but never expect a play run in his direction, would he remain content? Is there any concern he’d become a distraction on the sideline or in the locker room for a franchise that is already attempting quite the chemistry experiment bringing Chris Paul into the mix?”

Read More: Jimmy Butler links up with Morgan Wallen in Toronto

Howard Says Team USA Or Else

Elsewhere, Howard has spoken on his desire to play with Team USA at the 2024 Olympics. In the late 2000s, Howard was a go-to pick for the national team. He won a gold medal at the Beijing Games in 2008 as well as a World Cup bronze in 2006. However, he is likely on the outside looking in when it comes to 2024. Despite this, Howard is adamant that he be selected. Furthermore, he has gone as far as to say that if he isn’t selected, he will play for Taiwan and “drop 85”.

There’s just one problem with this assertion. Taiwan (or Chinese Taipei as it is referred to by the IOC) can’t qualify for the Olympics. Taiwan is not one of the 24 remaining teams that will compete for one of the four remaining Olympic spots next July. Furthermore, Howard has not lived in Taiwan for five years, meaning he cannot be naturalized as a citizen in time for the Olympics.

Read More: Kai Jones roasts his own teammates online

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SOURCE SPORTS: LeBron and Lakers Will Open NBA Season Against Denver Nuggets on Ring Night

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LeBron James will get a chance for revenge when his Los Angeles Lakers open the NBA season by taking on the reigning champion Denver Nuggets on their ring night. The 2023-24 NBA season will tip off at Ball Arena moments after the Nuggets raise their championship banner. It will be the 21st NBA season for LeBron James.

Game 2 of the season-opening double-header will see the Phoenix Suns’ new trio of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal take on the new-look Golden State Warriors, who have added former Sun Chris Paul to Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, and Klay Thompson.

The rest of the opening week matchups are below. What are you excited to see?

The post SOURCE SPORTS: LeBron and Lakers Will Open NBA Season Against Denver Nuggets on Ring Night first appeared on The Source.

The post SOURCE SPORTS: LeBron and Lakers Will Open NBA Season Against Denver Nuggets on Ring Night appeared first on The Source.

NBA Season To Open With West Coast Blockbusters

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The NBA has announced that the 2023-24 season will officially begin on October 24. What’s more, they will skew tradition to open with a slate of purely Western Conference matchups. The official tip-off will occur in Denver, where the Nuggets will raise their championship banner before taking on the Los Angeles Lakers. It’s a rematch of the Western Conference Finals, in which the Nuggets swept the Lakers so hard that LeBron considered retiring.

However, that game is almost serving as a lead-in to the night’s real marquee matchup. The Phoenix Suns will take on the Golden State Warriors. This means that Chris Paul will be facing his old team on night one. Furthermore, we will get out first look at Phoenix’s new Big Three of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal.

Read More: Druski launches sports management agency

NBA Promises Hyped Opening Week

However, the fun continues over the first days of the new season. October 25 sees the new-look Celtics take on the Knicks. Meanwhile, Victor Wembanyama makes his debut in an in-state matchup against Kyrie Irving and the Dallas Mavericks. That’s followed by the Sixers taking on Milwaukee to kick off October 26, which also features LeBron taking on KD as the Lakers face the Suns. The first half of the week very much feels like it will help establish who’s legit in this year’s title races.

Furthermore, October 27 is a day dedicated to playoff rematches. The Heat, who may or may not have Damian Lillard, take on the Celtics. That is followed by the Kings taking on the Warriors. Of course, the Kings came so close to beating the Warriors in the first round of the playoffs, only to choke a 3-1 series lead. Finally, October 28 sees the Knicks back in action, this time taking on Zion Williamson and the Pelicans. Then the Suns have their third game of the week as they face the Utah Jazz. Which matchups are you looking forward to? Let us know in the comments. Follow all the latest sports news here at HotNewHipHop.

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Draymond Green Expected To Decline Player Option

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The future of Draymond Green is one of the biggest free agency talking points of the NBA offseason. Green has spent his entire career with the Warriors after being drafted in 2012. However, 2023-24 represents a player option year for Green’s $99.6 million contract. 2022-23 was a sub-optimal year for Green, who admitted that he lost the locker room after his viral fight with Jordan Poole.

However, the Warriors had been eager to retain him. Despite criticizing Green for the Poole fight, head coach Steve Kerr said he was eager to have Green back next year. Furthermore, sources indicated that Steph Curry was eager to run it back with “The Big Three” (him, Green, and Klay Thompson) for at least one more year. However, major news has now broken about the potential future of Green with Golden State.

Warriors Will Fight To Retain Green

Per Marc J. Spears of ESPN, the Warriors expect Green to decline his player option year, valued at $27.5 million. “The Warriors expect Draymond Green to opt out of the final year of his $26 million contract,” Spears stated. “But Joe Lacob, [Mike] Dunleavy, the Warriors are going to do everything in their power, if he does as expected, to bring him back.” The Warriors are currently over $100 million over the cap. This could pose a problem in making Draymond a competitive offer on the free agency market.

As mentioned by Spears, the job of retaining Green, if he does decline the option, falls on newly-appointed GM Mike Dunleavy. While Dunleavy is a long-time Warriors exec, it’s unclear what sort of relationship he was with Green. His predecessor, Bob Myers, was seen as the “Draymond Whisperer”. However, declining his option year will allow other teams to pursue Green as well. Furthermore, this could see a major contender or cap-friendly team make a big offer to bring in the veteran big man. Do you think Draymond will stay with Golden State? Let us know in the comments. Follow all the latest sports news here at HotNewHipHop.

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Golden State Warriors Can’t Contend Without Draymond Green, JJ Reddick Argues

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The Warriors’ season ended in humiliation. They were bullied out of the playoffs by the Lakers in the second round. A lot has been written, and said, about this season for Golden State. Steve Kerr said the team never felt like a championship roster. Furthermore, Kerr placed much of the blame in regard to team dynamics on the fight between Draymond Green and Jordan Poole last October. Green agreed, stating that he lost the locker room after the incident. Despite this, Kerr is eager to have Green back on the team

Furthermore, while questions remain about the Warriors’ future, there is hope. Both Steph Curry and Klay Thompson both have at least one year left on their contract. Additionally, Green has the option to exercise a player year for $27 million. However, sources have confirmed that Curry, arguably the leader of this team, wants to run it back with the Big 3 for one more year at least. Now, another voice is advocating for the Warriors to do everything it takes to keep Green on the team.

Reddick Argues Warriors Don’t Contend Without Green

“Absolutely not,” Reddick began when asked if the Warriors can contend without Draymond. “Draymond is so important to everything they do on both sides of the basketball. And defensively specifically, what we saw last year was a non-elite defense from the Golden State Warriors…And yet, Draymond Green had another elite defensive season. He is the anchor of that defense. When the Golden State Warriors have contended, it’s because they have had an elite defense. You lose him, with really no way to replace him, you’re not winning an NBA championship.”

While Chris “Mad Dog” Russo sees the Warriors as a top-tier contender next season, Reddick is more reserved. To him, the Warriors have the potential to contend if they play the draft and free agency correctly. However, to him, getting rid of Draymond is getting rid of the team’s championship chances. Green has not yet been the focus of much speculation yet, with many believing that he will pick up his player option. However, what do you think Draymond should do? Do you think the Warriors will let him leave? Let us know in the comments. Follow all the latest sports news here at HotNewHipHop.

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