Everyone in the Bay is riding high on the championship wave but that does not mean the Golden State Warriors are not paying close attention to the upcoming free agency frenzy they could have on their hands. Specifically, what will happen with Kevon Looney?
Looney played every single game for the Dubs this season. Their iron man, Looney outperformed expectations and gave the Warriors a paint presence when no one else on the roster was available.
Without Looney, Golden State would not be celebrating its fourth championship in eight seasons.
Kevon Looney refrained from limiting himself in the offseason, saying he’d love to return to the Golden State Warriors while keeping his options open.
Still, the euphoria of reaching the top was not enough to bait Looney into making a commitment for next season.
When asked by reporters about his future contract, Looney had this to say:
"“I always want to be back here, I’ve been here my whole career. But it’s a business and you never know what’s going to happen.”Kevon Looney via San Francisco Chronicle"
Yeah, it’s about what you would expect from a player who has every reason to test the market this summer.
This type of cryptic, vague answer is something sports fans have become familiar with and I can’t say Looney chose the wrong way to word his response.
After all, Looney has been the unsung hero for Golden State and plenty of other teams across the league have taken note.
Looney clearly wants to remain in the Bay but can you blame him for keeping his options open? It would be a disservice to himself not to at least entertain the calls that he will certainly be receiving this summer.
So, while some members of the franchise were probably hoping Looney would give an emphatic “Yes! I’ll be back,” response, no one in the right mind can say Looney hasn’t earned his right to test his worth on the market before making a final decision.