Big contracts reiterate Golden State Warriors’ major value in underpaid big man

Boston Celtics’ star Jaylen Brown, a major foe of the Golden State Warriors in last year’s NBA Finals, has made history in agreeing to the largest contract extension of all-time, according to ESPN on Tuesday.

Coming off an NBA All-Second Team selection in 2022-23, Brown has signed a five-year, $304 million extension with the Celtics, overtaking Nikola Jokic’s five-year, $276 million contract as the richest in NBA history.

A host of big contract extensions this summer only reiterates the enormous value the Golden State Warriors have in Kevon Looney.

Kevon Looney may not be nearly the same stature of player as Brown or anyone else worth in excess of $200+ million, but nevertheless the enormity of some of these deals does renew the conversation of his place as one of the league’s biggest bargains.

Looney signed a three-year, $22.5 million deal with the Warriors as a free agent last offseason, with the final year (2024-25) being partially guaranteed. According to Spotrac, the 27-year-old is projected to be the 195th highest paid player in the league next season, and the 32nd highest paid center.

This is coming off a two-season period where Looney first averaged over 20 minutes for an entire 104-game, championship-winning 2021-22 season. He followed that up by again playing in all of the Warriors’ 95 games during the 2022-23 season, averaging around 24 minutes and leading the league for total offensive rebounds.

Most recently, Looney unequivocally outplayed Domantas Sabonis across a seven-game first-round playoff series. For context, the Lithuanian is one of a handful of players to sign extensions in excess of $200 million, agreeing to a five-year, $217 million deal with the Sacramento Kings.

You’d be hard pressed to come across a more underpaid player than Looney, at least excluding those on their rookie contract. Not only has the three-time champion proved to one of the most durable players going around in recent times, but his defensive versatility has made him one of the more impactful postseason big men when so many are quickly played off the court.

While the NBA world debates these record-breaking contracts and whether certain stars are overpaid, it’s worth acknowledging some of the role players like Looney who are so much more valuable than what their deals may suggest.