Golden State Warriors

Stephen Curry isn't about to fall for any gamesmanship, even if he appreciates the compliments.

Giannis Antetokounmpo may be the best player in the world in the eyes of some, but the Milwaukee Bucks star told reporters he believes the best player is "the last one standing."

The last one standing during the 2021-22 campaign was Curry, who led the Golden State Warriors to their fourth title in eight years. He also took home the first NBA Finals MVP award of his career thanks to his performance in the victory over the Boston Celtics.

"I don't know if it was gamesmanship," Curry told reporters when asked about Antetokounmpo saying he was the league's best player. "I would've said the same thing about the champions... I said the same thing about him last year. I appreciate the compliment. It's not going to soften me at all."

It was Antetokounmpo's Bucks that won the title the previous season with the superstar cementing his legacy with 50 points, 14 rebounds and five blocks in a Game 6 win over the Phoenix Suns.

Yet the Warriors bounced back from injury-marred campaigns for Curry and Klay Thompson to add another championship to their modern-day dynasty.

Despite Curry's status as the reigning champion and NBA Finals MVP, ESPN believes he is the fifth-best player in the league heading into the 2022-23 campaign. Antetokounmpo came in at No. 1 in the publication's ranking, just ahead of back-to-back MVP Nikola Jokić at No. 2 and Luka Dončić at No. 3.

It wouldn't be a surprise if the Bucks and Warriors ended up facing each other in the 2023 NBA Finals, and the Curry vs. Antetokounmpo debate would be the biggest storyline.

By their own standards, the winner of such a hypothetical matchup would get a claim as the top player in the NBA heading into the 2023-24 season.

Andre Iguodala was preparing to ride off into the sunset before committing to one more season with the Golden State Warriors.

Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said the 2015 NBA Finals MVP "was planning on retirement, so this was sort of a last-minute decision that he made.":

Iguodala announced Friday he was suiting up for the 2022-23 NBA season:

He told his Point Forward podcast co-host Evan Turner that Stephen Curry lobbied for him to return.

"So, I'm like 'Alright,'" he said (via Jarrod Castillo of NBC Sports Bay Area). "Then [Steph's] like, 'Nope, we're going to need you back for another one' and I'm like 'I'm letting you know now Steph, this is the last one.'"

The 38-year-old had a limited role with Golden State last season. His 19.5 minutes per game were a career low, and he logged just 31 appearances. Kerr explained how Iguodala's usage likely "will be similar to last year."

Iguodala might need to ramp himself up physically to the regular season as well if he hadn't approached the offseason from the mindset that he'd 100 percent be back.

Fresh off winning his fourth NBA championship, Klay Thompson is aiming for a fifth next season.

During an Instagram Live on a boat, the Golden State Warriors star said he's "not making any promises but I like our chances" to repeat in 2022-23.

Saturday marked the first day of training camp for the Warriors. Things seemed to go well, if you believe head coach Steve Kerr.

"The group that just won the title a few months ago basically dominated practice, as they should," Kerr told reporters. "The scrimmage, the live stuff—they looked fantastic."

Thompson may be the most intriguing player to watch in 2022-23. The five-time All-Star had some struggles last season in his return to the court after missing the previous two years with a torn ACL and ruptured Achilles tendon.

He finished the regular season averaging 20.4 points per game and a 38.5 three-point percentage in 32 starts. His scoring average dipped slightly in the playoffs (19.0), but his success rate from behind the arc remained exactly the same.

More important than Thompson's numbers was the fact he was able to play meaningful basketball games with no apparent restrictions. He averaged 36.0 minutes per game in the postseason.

If his legs are anywhere close to 100 percent, Thompson could go back to being the sharpshooting dynamo he was before the injuries.

The Warriors are going to be a title contender as long as Stephen Curry and Draymond Green are healthy. Thompson is the key piece that puts them over the top. His optimism right now is a good sign for the team with just over three weeks before the start of the regular season.

Andre Iguodala announced Friday he's re-signing with the Golden State Warriors to play the final season of his NBA career.

Iguodala, who's won four championships across two stints with the dynastic Dubs, confirmed the decision on his Point Forward podcast (via ESPN's Kendra Andrews).

The 2015 NBA Finals MVP noted he doesn't expect to see the floor too often during his 19th NBA campaign as the Warriors lean more heavily on younger players.

"I'm looking forward to playing, but I am on [Jonathan] Kuminga, Moses Moody," the 38-year-old forward said. "I am on the young fellas and I'm letting them know if I get on this court, you ain't doing something right. No way you should allow me to get on the court."

He also delivered a message to Golden State cornerstone Stephen Curry, a longtime friend and teammate: "I'm letting you know, Steph, this the last one."

Let's check out some key storylines ahead of his final season.

Warriors Taking No Chances Ahead of Repeat Bid

Golden State didn't need to bring back Iguodala to remain among the NBA's top championship contenders, but it's a no-risk move to provide both depth and leadership.

Kerr referenced that role a few weeks ago when asked on 95.7 The Game radio (via Joey Linn of Sports Illustrated) about whether the University of Arizona product was returning for 2022-23.

"We hope he comes back," Kerr said. "... There's going to be times during the season where he'll be healthy and helping us win games and they'll be times where he's not playing but still patrolling that locker room and making sure guys are learning how to win and how to be champions."

On-court production is always central to a title pursuit, but off-court intangibles are also a key part of the equation, and that's why a player who averaged just 4.0 points across 31 appearances last season is being welcomed back with open arms.

Iguodala is going to provide the Warriors with plenty of value despite coming nowhere close to the nearly 20 points per game he put up during his prime with the Philadelphia 76ers.

Iguodala Trending Toward Udonis Haslem-Type Role?

The comments by Iguodala and Kerr strongly suggest he isn't going to play anywhere close to 82 regular-season games. It'll be a light workload for much of the campaign.

It's reminiscent of Haslem, who hasn't played more than 16 games for the Miami Heat in any of the past six years. The 42-year-old post player announced in August he's returning for a 20th season, likely in the same mentorship role.

Iguodala could always see his involvement increase if Golden State is dealing with injuries. It's also possible his minutes go up come playoff time if younger members of the roster haven't made as much progress as the coaching staff is seeking.

It's an arrangement that wouldn't make sense for every team, but for clubs like the Warriors and Heat, who are firmly in their championship window, a seasoned veteran to help guide the locker room is a worthwhile investment.

A Final Opportunity To Bolster Hall of Fame Résumé

Although Iguodala's baseline NBA numbers aren't at a typical Hall of Fame level, his overall list of accomplishments give him an outside shot to reach Springfield.

Along with the four titles and the Finals MVP, he earned an All-Star selection with the Sixers in 2012 and was a NBA All-Defensive first-team choice during his first stay with Golden State in 2014. He also won a gold medal with Team USA at the 2012 London Olympics.

Basketball Reference's Hall of Fame probability tracker lists Iguodala with a 12.7 percent chance to get enshrined entering his final season, which is probably a fair estimate. He's a long shot but it's not totally out of the question.

Winning a fifth championship with the Warriors next June, perhaps with a few impactful games in the postseason along the way, would give a final boost to those odds before he heads into retirement.

Veteran forward Andre Iguodala announced he will return for a 19th and final season Friday on his Point Forward podcast.

No deal has been formally announced, but Iguodala says he plans to re-sign with the Golden State Warriors.

Iguodala is an 18-year veteran who entered the NBA after the Philadelphia 76ers selected him ninth overall in the 2004 draft. He played eight years in Philly, capped by an All-Star nod in 2011-12.

After the season, Philadelphia dealt Iguodala to the Denver Nuggets in a four-team deal. He spent only one season in Denver before being moved to the Warriors in 2013.

Iguodala soon became an integral part of the Warriors' dynasty, winning five Western Conference titles and three NBA championships while serving as the team's top (and most versatile) reserve.

His finest hours occurred during the 2015 NBA Finals when he averaged 16.3 points, 5.8 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game en route to the series' MVP award.

In February 2020, Iguodala was traded to the Miami Heat, who made the NBA Finals during the forward's first year with the team. He played one more year in Miami before re-signing with the Warriors as a free agent ahead of the 2021-22 season on a one-year, $2.6 million contract.

Injuries kept him out for all but six regular-season games from Jan. 21 onward. He played four first-round games in the playoffs but then notably sat over a month with a left cervical disk injury (neck).

"It's a huge loss," Warriors head coach Steve Kerr told reporters on April 27 when the injury was revealed.

Iguodala returned for the NBA Finals and soon earned his fourth NBA title.

His status remained in limbo throughout the summer, but NBA reporter Marc Stein noted on Sept. 18 that the team expected Iguodala back.

"The Warriors, I'm told, do expect Iguodala to play for one more season but are prepared for any outcome, and are also open to bringing the 18-year veteran back on his timetable," Stein wrote.

He may not have put up gaudy numbers during the back half of his career, but his tremendous versatility has allowed the Warriors to put out some incredible lineups, including one that consisted of him, Draymond Green, Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry.

While Iguodala may not quite have a Hall of Fame resume, he's clearly made an indelible mark on the game and will go down as one of the best glue guys this century.

James Wiseman has been something of a disappointment for the Golden State Warriors in his young career. But this summer, the reviews coming from the third-year center were more positive.

"All of my coaches have been raving about James," head coach Steve Kerr told The Athletic's Tim Kawakami. "I just got back last week; I was traveling quite a bit this summer, so I hadn't seen a ton of him. But I was getting rave reviews from the coaches in terms of James' incremental improvement. What he needed more than anything was to play, and he played a ton this summer. ... He played a lot of pickup games. He stayed healthy. His knee feels good. He’s in a really good place going into camp."

The 7-foot, 240-pound center appeared in just 39 games (27 starts) for the Dubs in 2020-21, averaging 11.5 points and 5.8 rebounds while shooting 51.9 percent from the field. Injuries and the COVID-19 pandemic led to a choppy rookie season.

Then the 21-year-old missed all of last season with a knee injury.

With the Warriors coming off a title and having the star trio of Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green healthy, Wiseman will return in more of a reserve role.

That will give the Warriors the chance to develop him a bit more organically than during his rookie season, which Kerr touched on:

I think the great thing is there's a much better sense of who we are now than when he was a rookie. You remember his rookie year, we took the approach that, 'Let's just start him, let's throw him into the deep end.' That wasn't entirely fair. We, at times, did not put him in position to succeed. We were more interested in just getting him experience, trying to speed up the development process. And I think in retrospect that was unfair to him. In fairness to us, (Kevon Looney) was injured and had some of the nerve issues going. We weren't sure if he was going to be healthy. We were trying to get to a point where maybe James would help us when we got healthy the following year.

Like I said, it was amped-up process. This year is a much more organic, natural progression. He's got lots of time, lots of development ahead of him without the rush to be a hugely productive player right away. We’ve got guys who are ready to help us win right now. For James, that'll be part of the process.

Wiseman was the No. 2 pick in the 2020 draft and has been far overshadowed by No. 1 pick Anthony Edwards, No. 3 pick LaMelo Ball and even No. 12 pick Tyrese Haliburton.

Some of that has been because of injuries, but Wiseman had a more inconsistent rookie year. This season will be the chance for him to prove that the Warriors made the right decision in drafting him and that he can contribute to a championship-level team.

Thus far, the early returns this offseason have been positive.

Golden State Warriors general manager Bob Myers plans to meet with representatives for Jordan Poole once the team has returned from its preseason trip to Tokyo.

"I think after Tokyo [we'll] sit down for the first time and start having that conversation," Myers told reporters Thursday. "That's about two weeks out from the deadline for him."

Poole is coming off the best year of his career. He averaged 18.5 points and 4.0 assists in the regular season before dropping 17.0 points per game in the playoffs as the Warriors won their seventh championship.

The 23-year-old provided some stability in the backcourt, first until Klay Thompson returned and played his way back into form and then again when Stephen Curry was battling a foot injury prior to the postseason.

There's no question Poole has made himself an important member of the team, and he can potentially help serve as a bridge to the next version of Golden State that aims to contend without Curry, Thompson and Draymond Green.

The problem for the front office is that re-signing Poole will be a costly endeavor, both in terms of his salary and whatever the added luxury tax payments will be. He isn't the only notable Warriors player who's soon set to hit free agency, either.

Andrew Wiggins hits the open market at the same time, and Draymond Green will follow in 2024. The Athletic's Tim Kawakami noted Golden State's collective payroll could eclipse $400 million in 2023-24, assuming Poole is back.

Poole is only slated for restricted free agency if he declines the $5.8 million qualifying offer next summer. That provides Myers with a buffer since the Warriors would have the luxury to match any offer sheet he signs.

But Poole's value is unlikely to decline between now and the offseason, so waiting might mean having to spend even more on his extension.

Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr wants to see Andre Iguodala return to the team for the 2022-23 season.

Speaking to The Athletic's Tim Kawakami, Kerr said he believes the Warriors "have a way better chance" to repeat as NBA champions if the former All-Star is on their roster.

"I think he can still play; he showed that last year. And he's just huge for our internal leadership and guidance," Kerr added. "We've got so many young guys, we need Andre's presence. So I really hope he comes back."

Kerr has previously spoken about keeping a roster spot open for Iguodala if he wants to keep playing, but he's not going to pressure the 38-year-old.

"I leave Andre alone," the Warriors coach told Anthony Slater of The Athletic last month. "He knows where we stand. If he wants to come back, we’d love to have him. The one thing we feel strongly about with Andre is we want to give him whatever space and time he needs to make a decision. I’m leaving him alone. Whenever he makes his decision is fine with us."

Iguodala has been vague about his future plans when asked about it since the end of the NBA Finals.

"I’m trying to reflect on the season, enjoy it, enjoy being a champion," he told Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area in July. "And if that time comes ... I don’t know if it’s going to be a tough decision, but I’m ready for whatever.”

The Warriors brought Iguodala back last offseason after he spent two seasons with the Miami Heat. He played in 38 games between the regular season and playoffs. The former NBA Finals MVP averaged 3.7 assists per game, his most in a season since 2013-14 (4.2).

In addition to his contributions on the court, Iguodala earned high marks from multiple Warriors players for his ability as a coach and mentor behind the scenes.

Even though Golden State has a stable foundation in place, led by Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson, having Iguodala around to continue helping young players like Kevon Looney, Jordan Poole and Jonathan Kuminga can only help the team.

The Golden State Warriors may eventually have some difficult decisions to make when it comes to the contracts of Draymond Green, Andrew Wiggins and Jordan Poole, but they reportedly are in no hurry.

"With the Warriors' salary, with the landscape of their money, they're not rushing into any of these conversations," ESPN's Kendra Andrews reported on The Jump. "So, when you look at Andrew Wiggins, they have all season to figure out that extension. And Draymond Green, that's a couple years away. So that is definitely lower on their list of priorities right now."

On their current deals, Wiggins is set for unrestricted free agency after the upcoming campaign, and Green has a player option for the 2023-24 season. Poole is eligible for a rookie extension but could become a restricted free agent in 2023.

That means all three players could hit free agency by next year, although it is frankly difficult to envision Green playing for another team given his overall importance to the franchise's ability to build a modern-day dynasty.

Warriors president of basketball operations Bob Myers appeared on the The TK Show with The Athletic's Tim Kawakami (h/t Luke Adams of Hoops Rumors) and said the team would prefer to keep all three:

"We've had conversations with all three players (and) their representatives. I'm not going to get into the likelihood or not of any of them getting done, but we know how important they are. I don't know that we win a championship last year if you take any of them away. … Too early for me to say what will happen or won't happen, but the goal is to keep those guys, all three of them, as long as we can. But again, there's a financial component."

That financial component is a real one considering Sam Quinn of CBS Sports in June noted Golden State was the most expensive team in NBA history during the 2021-22 campaign at approximately $346 million in combined salary and luxury taxes.

The Warriors will also be subject to the repeater penalty given to teams that paid the luxury tax in three of the previous four seasons, bringing the financial situation even more into the picture.

Golden State's expensive roster paid off last season, as it won its fourth championship in eight years by defeating the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals.

It even felt like slightly more of an underdog story than in past years considering Kevin Durant wasn't on the team and Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson were both coming off injury-marred seasons.

The Warriors figure to be on the short list of realistic contenders again in 2022-23 with the core of Curry, Thompson and Green leading the way and Wiggins and Poole spearheading the supporting cast, but the window may be closing if they can't keep the roster together for the foreseeable future.