The Golden State Warriors are on the hunt for a starting center this offseason, with Steve Kerr already admitting that they don't want Draymond Green to continue the role that left him weary and tired during the playoffs.
With three legitimate centers already on the roster, adding a fourth would seem excessive for a team who are likely going to default to Green as a small-ball five in closing lineups anyway. That means that the Warriors are destined to lose one of their current big men, with one standing above the other two as the most likely to leave.
Kevon Looney appears likely to depart the Warriors this offseason
While Quinten Post and Trayce Jackson-Davis both have contracts for next season, Kevon Looney is set to hit unrestricted free agency where he may have to seek a new home after a decade with Golden State.
The 3x champion has been a much loved member of the Warriors since he was drafted with the 30th overall pick in 2015, but his offensive limitations have become more problematic and harder to live with over the past couple years.
Following some huge moments in the 2022 and 2023 playoffs, Looney lost his starting role to Jackson-Davis last season and has only seen his playing time become more limited in the time since. The 29-year-old made just six starts and averaged 15.0 minutes this season -- the lowest of any non-injury interrupted year since his third in 2017-18.
Given Post and Jackson-Davis are on team-friendly deals, it might be difficult for Golden State to brign Looney back while also targeting another veteran center who fits alongside Green in the front court.
Perhaps the Warriors do value Looney's leadership, locker room presence and stature as a 3x champion enough to re-sign him, but you would think it would be an end-of-the-roster spot on a minimum contract and with no guarantee of a rotation role.
Moving on from Looney altogether would be a heart-breaking and brutal decision to make, yet perhaps also a necessary one for Golden State to improve and ultimately go further than the second-round they reached this year.
Looney understands the process, stating in his exit interview that "they’re going to try to do whatever is best to make the team better. Hopefully I’m in those plans.” He will also have the opportunity to go out and seek a bigger contract than the minimum deal the Warriors may offer, though that may be hard to come by given the current CBA and the expectation that free agency will not be player-friendly.