30 richest players in the NBA
By John Buhler
Andre Iguodala
Small Forward, Golden State Warriors
For a near-Hall of Fame level player, one would expect that a guy like Andre Iguodala would have made some sweet money along the way. Iguodala went from an All-Star with the Philadelphia 76ers to a sixth man for the championship-contending Golden State Warriors. In his 13 NBA seasons out of Arizona, Iguodala has made $118,683,918 in career earnings.
Iguodala came into the league as the No. 9 overall pick by the 76ers in the 2004 NBA Draft. He signed a three-year deal worth $6.17 million out of Arizona. Philadelphia would exercise its player option for 2007-08 by offering him 2.8 million for that season back in 2006.
The 76ers marked him as a restricted free agent by putting out a qualifying offer. Iguodala would get his first massive NBA pay day by inking a six-year, $80.5 million extension with the 76ers in August 2008. Then something called The Process began in summer 2012. Iguodala was traded to the Denver Nuggets in August 2012.
He would play one year with Denver before terminating his deal two years early. Iguodala would go to the Warriors on a sign-and-trade with the Nuggets in July 2013. It was a four-year deal with $48 million.
Iguodala will again be hitting free agency this summer. He has been able to pivot as an NBA player, going from the star player on a middle of pack Eastern Conference team to a sixth man on a dynasty level team.
Has Iguodala exited his prime? Probably, but there was about a 10-year window where Iguodala was at worst a top-35 player in the NBA. His on-court success translated to winning. He is a borderline Hall of Famer, but he can always say that he is a champion and a well-paid one at that.