The former Golden State Warriors star Andre Iguodala was recently traded to the Memphis Grizzlies. Photograph by Jane Tyska / The Mercury News / Getty

After Andre Iguodala entered the N.B.A., fifteen years ago, he quickly became known as an athletic scorer, playing first for the Sixers and then for the Nuggets. He made the All-Star team in 2012, and seemed destined to have a perfectly successful but championship-free career. And then, in 2013, he joined the Golden State Warriors and became part of a core that would include Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, and eventually Kevin Durant; the team went on to win three titles in the next six years, break the regular-season win record, and get mentioned as one of the best teams of all time. But, in the process of joining a group of multiple All-Stars, Iguodala changed his role. He agreed to come off the bench, focus more on defense, and become known—as the title of a new book that Iguodala wrote with Carvell Wallace has it—as “The Sixth Man.” After the Finals series against Cleveland in 2015, during which he primarily guarded LeBron James, he won a Finals M.V.P. Award. This past Warriors season ended on a disappointing note, with an injury-ravaged team losing to the Toronto Raptors.

I spoke with Iguodala, by phone, on Friday. Forty-eight hours after our call ended, however, the N.B.A.’s free-agency season began, and Iguodala, who was under contract for one more year, was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies. The Warriors, who also lost Durant, appeared to be in semi-rebuild mode, and Iguodala, at age thirty-five, was not a part of their future. He declined comment when I reached out again on Monday.

Iguodala’s book details the ups and downs of the Warriors dynasty, and the increased media scrutiny that the whole team faced in the midst of their success. He also writes about his coaches—Mark Jackson and Steve Kerr—and his interests outside of basketball, including in the Bay Area’s tech scene. Our interview touched on his upcoming plans, his feelings about Golden State, and players’ increased awareness of the business aspects of the league—and in this business, it seems, anyone can be traded at any time. During the conversation, which has been edited for length and clarity, we also discussed how he prepares to guard someone, the uniqueness of Steph Curry, and the clash between religious beliefs and gay acceptance in the N.B.A.

What are the biggest changes in the N.B.A. since you entered the league?

We players hold ourselves at a different level now than we did before. Before, it wasn’t as much about how active we were, whether it be socially or from a business perspective, a mental space, all those things. We would like each generation to be able to learn from the previous. . . . I think we’re all trying to be in a better space. And you see that physically, with the way we’re training, with the technology we’re using on and off the court, whether it be with sleep or with yoga or changing our diets. And then you see that with our business, and the way we’ve disrupted the old model of endorsements, and how we’re taking equity in companies, and how we’re running our businesses and how we’re running our brands, and how we’re taking more ownership of our brands. All those things have really changed throughout the last decade.

Was there some aspect of tutelage or mentorship that you didn’t get that is different now than when you entered the league?

I don’t know if there was anything that was missing, but I think we’re just getting access to more, especially with technology, and everything is in front of you. And teams or organizations are using analytics to decide which players will fit better with a team and what players they can get for cheaper and still be as effective. We were able to do the same thing: take those analytics and see the impact that we have on a game and the impact that we have on businesses. So we’ve just smartened up.

How have conversations among players changed? Are plane rides different?

The plane is a sacred place for players to be able to relax and get away from the noise. You are seeing more conversation on the plane rides. You’re seeing a lot of books on plane rides. You’re seeing guys read newspapers. Klay Thompson’s an endorser of the local newspaper and it’s a thing for him to have the newspaper, in physical form, in his locker every game or in his locker every shootaround. It’s not just on basketball or locker-room chatter.

How much disagreement is there during political conversations?

Well, it’s kind of that fine line between what’s sacred and what you can share. But we’re just having a candid conversation, whereas in the past we weren’t as aware of what’s going on, or we just didn’t care. But we’re seeing the effect it has on our people and the people that we resonate with through the majority of our lives. Our upbringing is definitely—we were right in the middle of that. But we’re having those conversations and we’re talking about ramifications of decisions that are made by others and how that’s going to affect us and affect others. So that’s what I’m most proud of—that we’re having them.

Do you think a lot of N.B.A. players voted for Trump?

That’s tough for me to answer. I don’t know. That’s an interesting question.

Were you surprised he won?

No, I wasn’t surprised.

Why not?

Just from what was going on. It’s interesting. You watch a lot of different shows, from “Billions” to “Veep” to—what’s the show with Shonda Rhimes?

“Scandal”?

“Scandal.” You watch all these shows and your view is kind of skewed of how things work. Not even skewed—just as not surprised by anything, especially in this day and age and how social media really impacted that whole election. It just seemed like anything could happen.

How is this Warriors team different from other teams you have been on?

Stars were really aligned with how the team was built. We were lucky or blessed or whatever you believe in. I say we were blessed in how the team was formed. Then you have a superstar who’s that rare humble superstar, once in your lifetime—that goes unnoticed, but he sets the culture—Steph Curry. They were aligned with Mark Jackson coming in and being able to give those guys confidence that they could be the best backcourt in N.B.A. history. And, when Mark Jackson said that about them, Steph and Klay Thompson, it was like this kind of culture—there’s something going on. Draymond Green’s the right balance from Steph, who’s quiet and reserved. Draymond kind of bringing a fire and energy into something we don’t have. I’ve just been fortunate enough to get in a good spot in my career where I can contribute in other, smaller ways, but still have an impact. And we get Kevin Durant and all hell breaks loose.

How did all hell break loose?

In terms of the dominance that we’ve had. Everyone is upset at how dominant we’ve been.

Steve Kerr has made comments publicly where he’s referred to Durant as the best player on the team. And what struck me about that, whether you think it’s right or wrong, is the self-confidence he must think that Steph Curry must have to hear that. I was curious if you had the same read on that.