What has been speculated about for many months finally happened, Andre Iguodala announced he is going to opt out of the final year of his contract that would pay him around $16 million. He will be seeking a long term contract and it is important to remember that Denver can give him an extra year on his contract.
I think he is most likely to resign with Denver because of their ability to give him an extra year. I was almost 100% sure that he would resign with Denver before Masai Ujiri left and George Karl was fired. However, he may not want to come back to Denver because it will be unfamiliar. He is familiar with the teammate and it seemed like he enjoyed last season, which is why I still think he will stick around.
He will have a lot of other options when he hits the open market. The Atlanta Hawks would be a likely front runner. They have a lot of cap room with Josh Smith leaving. Atlanta would like to sign him because they really need a playmaker on the wing. They might be able to throw more money at him than Denver, but would he be OK with the situation? Cleveland could be a dark horse candidate depending on how they feel about Dion Waiters and if they draft Otto Porter. If they pass on Porter, Iguodala can fill the void that they have at the small forward position. Also, if they don't feel comfortable with Waiters, Iguodala could take the starting spot at shooting guard. Dallas would also be a good landing spot for him. They have an empty backcourt and he could help the rebuilding process there. They also have an opportunity to contend, which should entice him to join Dallas as opposed to other teams.
Iguodala will have a plethora of options beyond these four teams, but I think these are the most likely landing places for him. He needs to work on his shot, but he does a lot of other things on the court well, such as his lockdown defense. I believe he will be signed for around 12-13 million a year, which is a good deal for whoever gets him.
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