5 Warriors whose roles aren't safe after the trade deadline
By Will Eudy
Kevon Looney
Known as one of Golden State's strongest players in the postseason, Kevon Looney has always been seen as an invaluable asset to the Warriors organization due to his toughness and chemistry with the big three. Looney is the longest-tenured member of the Dubs outside of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green.
Drafted in 2015 with the final pick of the first round, Looney has proven time and again why he is a championship-level player. He played his rookie season during the year the Warriors went 73-9 and reached the Finals for the second consecutive season. Kevon has been part of some of the greatest basketball ever played in the history of this league.
The past two regular seasons, he has not missed a game and has finished with 82 games played in both years, an increasingly rare feat in the modern NBA. In 2022-23, he finished eighth in Most Improved Player voting, averaging 7.0 points and 9.3 rebounds on the year. In the playoff series against Sacramento, he grabbed 20 or more rebounds in three of the seven games, and was a huge factor in Golden State coming out with the win.
But this season, he has taken a step back and has struggled to be a difference-maker. Trayce Jackson-Davis has taken a lot of his minutes and could continue to do so if Looney does not step things up.