Golden State Warriors: Would David Lee or Josh Smith Be the Better Fit?

Golden State Warriors: Would David Lee or Josh Smith Be the Better Fit? by Ben Pickman

May 2, 2013; Oakland, CA, USA; Denver Nuggets shooting guard Andre Iguodala (9) congratulates Golden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry (30) game six of the first round of the 2013 NBA Playoffs at Oracle Arena. The Warriors defeated the Nuggets 92-88. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

The Golden State Warriors have a bright future with a young core and Andre Iguodala wants to jump on for the ride.

Yahoo! Sports reports that Iguodala will exercise his early termination option and opt out of the final year of his contract. Had he not opted out, the Denver Nuggets would’ve owed him a little more than $16 million.

Instead, Iguodala will join a top-heavy free-agent class, headlined by Chris Paul and Dwight Howard.

Marcus Thompson of the Bay Area News Group reports that the Warriors are interested in the small forward. Golden State does have their hands tied financially, making a sign-and-trade the only way in which they could obtain Iguodala. A sign-and-trade would likely include Klay Thompson or Harrison Barnes, two of the main pieces in the Warriors’ young core.

I think Iggy would require Klay or Barnes, which is probably a deal breaker for GSW. But they do like Iggy. Have for a while — Marcus Thompson (@gswscribe) June 14, 2013

Iguodala will garner interested from several teams, including the Atlanta Hawks, Dallas Mavericks, Cleveland Cavaliers, Houston Rockets and Detroit Pistons, per a Yahoo! Sports report.

However, he prefers the Warriors:

What’s more, Iggy would like to come to Warriors. He’s a fan of the style of play and grew tight with Stephen Curry on Olympic squad — Marcus Thompson (@gswscribe) June 14, 2013

Iguodala to the Warriors is probably a long shot given the drastic measures the organization would have to take in order to make it work, but it’s not entirely out of the question. There’s been a lingering interest from the Warriors’ side since 2011, when rumors of Monta Ellis for Iguodala were in full force.