Andre Iguodala fractures wrist, will undergo surgery

The Golden State Warriors waited all season for Andre Iguodala. They openly signed the veteran forward, playing in his 18th and presumably final NBA season strictly for the end of the season and the playoffs. They didn’t put him on the court until January, and then only for three games before shutting him down.

He returned recently and looked good in five games, showing signs that he could be a key contributor down the stretch.

But those plans have come to a screeching halt. In a cruel twist, Iguodala was able to overcome the hip injury that derailed him for the last few months ... but he couldn’t avoid injury. During the Warriors win over the Phoenix Suns on Monday, Iguodala injured his wrist. It didn’t seem like much on the broadcast, but the news that came out today is bad.

The former All-Star and NBA Finals MVP has a fractured wrist. And he’ll undergo surgery next week.

The Warriors didn’t provide a timetable for Iguodala’s recovery. And while some players have returned from wrist surgery pretty quickly, it certainly seems fair to assume that Iguodala’s season — and presumably career — is over.

That’s not to say he can’t still provide value. He’s served as an excellent assistant coach of sorts this year when not playing. But seeing his contributions over the last few games was a strong reminder as to why the team had such faith in the veteran forward, and now they’ll likely need stronger contributions from players like Jonathan Kuminga and Anthony Lamb in Iguodala’s absence.

Tough blow for the player and the team.