Kevon Looney has quickly learnt how difficult things can be outside the eco-system of Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors, having been brutally discarded by the franchise at the start of free agency in the offseason.
There's no suggestion that the Warriors have any interest in reuniting with Looney at this point, but it is now theoretically possible after the veteran center officially became trade eligible on Monday.
Kevon Looney is now trade eligible after disappointing start at Pelicans
Looney signed a two-year, $16 million contract with the New Orleans Pelicans in free agency, ending his decorated decade-long time with Golden State which included three championships.
The 29-year-old has struggled to have any impact at the Pelicans amid their horror 5-22 start to the season that has them at the bottom of the Western Conference. Looney has made just 12 appearances with his new team, having seen DNPs in each of New Orleans' last five games under interim head coach James Borrego.
Looney is currently averaging 2.7 points and 3.9 rebounds in 12.9 minutes per game -- those points and minutes are the least since his second year in the league in 2016-17. Given that production and with another year on his contract, there's going to be little interest in Looney as a trade target.
However, that's not to say he couldn't be involved in a deal before the deadline, and potentially one that sees his return to the Bay Area. The Pelicans have a number of other players who are going to garner trade interest over the coming weeks, including Trey Murphy III and Herb Jones who have both been linked to the Warriors (particularly Murphy).
Could Golden State take on Looney's contract in addition to acquiring Murphy or Jones? That could potentially occur depending on how the salaries matchup, particularly if taking back Looney's very player-friendly contract actually decreases the value the Warriors have to give up.
We don't have to go back particularly far to see Golden State re-acquire a championship veteran soon after letting them walk in free agency. The Warriors traded James Wiseman for Gary Payton II at the 2023 deadline, having proven unwilling to match a contract from the Portland Trail Blazers just over six months earlier.
While all eyes will be on whether Golden State can trade for Jones or especially Murphy before the mid-season deadline, don't completely discard the idea of a Looney reunion despite his declining value as an NBA player.