Warriors trade Andre Iguodala to Memphis Grizzlies as part of sign-and-trade for D’Angelo Russell

The Golden State Warriors lost an All-Star on the first day of NBA free agency on Sunday, then gained one.

The team acquired guard D’Angelo Russell in a sign-and-trade with the Brooklyn Nets, who agreed to a four-year, $164 million deal with former Warriors forward Kevin Durant earlier in the day.

The Warriors reportedly gave Russell a four-year deal worth $117 million, but had to unload some salary in order to complete the acquisition. That came in the form of former Arizona Wildcats standout Andre Iguodala, who was shipped to the Memphis Grizzlies along with a bevy of draft picks, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

Iguodala is set to earn roughly $17.1 million in 2019-20, the last year of a three-year, $48 million deal. The 35-year-old averaged 5.7 points, 3.7 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game this past season.

While Iguodala might not put up the kind of scoring numbers as Russell, his defense, leadership and playmaking ability were vital for Golden State during its five-year stretch of dominance, and could prove difficult to replace for the new-look Warriors, who will be without Klay Thompson for most of the 2019-20 season as he recovers from a torn ACL.

Iguodala won three championships with the Warriors and was named NBA Finals MVP in 2015.

Iguodala will join a Grizzlies team that is in full rebuild mode. Memphis traded longtime point guard Mike Conley to the Utah Jazz this offseason, the last player remaining from the Grit and Grind era of Grizzlies basketball.