Free Agency Day 2: Looney re-signs, more champions depart as Warriors acquire another
The second day of NBA free agency has produced even more impactful news for the Golden State Warriors. After the confirmed departures of Gary Payton II and Juan Toscano-Anderson, Warriors’ fans were anxious about the actions of the front office.
Otto Porter Jr., Nemanja Bjelica, and Damion Lee continued the Golden State Warriors exodus, but the Dubs did retain starting center Kevon Looney.
Nerves were eased when news emerged of Looney’s re-signing, with the three-time champion agreeing to a deal most would consider as under market value.
Free agent center Kevon Looney has agreed to a three-year, $25.5M deal to return to Golden State, sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2022
The news wasn’t so positive for fans hoping to see another season of Porter in the Bay Area. The 29-year-old, who was an integral part of the championship as a starter for the last three games of the NBA Finals, has signed a two-year deal with the Toronto Raptors.
According to Yahoo Sports’ Chris Haynes and The Athletic’s Anthony Slater, Porter was enticed both by a better financial deal than the minimum contract the Warriors were offering, and the fact Porter’s wife is from Toronto.
Aside from joining one of the best well-ran franchises, what made committing to Raptors even more enticing for Otto Porter Jr. is that his wife is from Toronto. https://t.co/mC6vefRrb3
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) July 1, 2022
Otto Porter Jr. had a veteran minimum offer on the table from the Warriors but is signing in Toronto for a better deal, per @ChrisBHaynes. Warriors have now lost the #7 and #8 players in their championship rotation in the first 24 hours of free agency.
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) July 1, 2022
Elsewhere, guard Damion Lee has accepted a one-year deal with Pacific rivals the Phoenix Suns, while stretch big Nemanja Bjelica has turned his back on the NBA entirely and is headed back to Europe.
Dubs add DiVincenzo
Perhaps the biggest news of the day, outside the re-signing of Looney, was Golden State’s acquisition of guard Donte DiVincenzo. The 25-year-old won a championship with the Milwaukee Bucks last year before being traded to the Sacramento Kings mid-season.
The two-year, $9.3 million deal appears great value for a player who averaged 10.4 points, 5.8 rebounds and shot 37.9% from three as a starter during Milwaukee’s championship season.
DiVincenzo has struggled with ankle issues recently, but at his best could prove a serviceable replacement for Payton as a slightly worse defending but better shooting bench player capable of 20-25 minutes a game.
With the addition of DiVincenzo and the re-signing of Looney, Golden State now has 12 players on the 15-man roster.
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Fans should expect at least two more free-agent signings, with the potential that the team goes into training camp with an extra roster spot as they did last season before adding Payton.