If that was the end of Kevon Looney and Gary Payton at the Golden State Warriors, it was a rather miserable way to go out as the franchise was eliminated from the playoffs with a Game 5 loss against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center on Wednesday night.
The veteran duo will each become unrestricted free agents in the offseason, leaving the possibility that their careers with the Warriors has come to an end. Both have been fan favorites and key championship contributors in the past, but Wednesday's game signified their more limited impact in recent times.
Kevon Looney and Gary Payton II may have played their last game with the Warriors
Despite Stephen Curry sitting on the sidelines with his hamstring injury, Steve Kerr still utilized 12 players in what was a must win elimination game. But of those 12 players to see minutes, no one saw less than Payton who had just one steal and failed to record a single point, rebound or assist in just under six minutes.
Looney played just 17 seconds more, with only Payton and Pat Spencer playing less than the 3x NBA champion. Neither Looney or Payton even took a single field-goal attempt in their minutes, representing a significant issue for Golden State who simply have too many non scoring/shooting threats on the roster.
That puts both Looney and Payton's future with the Warriors in some jeopardy, with the idea that the front office could look for upgrades in free agency. At the very least you would think they're set for significant pay cuts, having made $9.1 and $8 million respectively in the final year of three-year deals.
In fact, it's hard to see Looney and Payton seeing more than minimum deals this summer, whether that's with Golden State or elsewhere. They'll definitely be with an NBA team next season, yet it might be a case of having to wait until a few days into free agency for their futures to be solidified.
Their presence in the locker room and stature at the franchise (particularly in Looney's case) is worth bringing them back, but Wednesday's game would suggest their time as key rotation pieces may be coming towards an end.
Looney appeared in 76 games again this season, making six starts and averaging 4.5 points, 6.1 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game. Payton's 62 games were the most he's played in three seasons, having averaged 6.5 points, 3.0 rebounds and nearly a steal while shooting just 32.6% from beyond the arc.