While Jonathan Kuminga's future will dominate headlines surrounding the Golden State Warriors heading into free agency, it's another player whose potential departure may be more heart-breaking for the franchise and its fans.
Kevon Looney is a 3x champion who's been a massive part of the Warriors since he was drafted a decade ago. Once labelled by head coach Steve Kerr as the "moral compass" of the team, Looney's impact at the Warriors extends far beyond what he does on the court.
Yet it's his dwindling role on the floor that may cause Golden State to part ways with the beloved veteran, particularly when they've already got two younger centers on the roster whose roles should theoretically increase next season.
Warriors fans should prepare for Kevon Looney's departure
Looney lost his starting role to Trayce Jackson-Davis late in the 2023-24 season, before both were usurped by rookie big man Quinten Post in a Warrior rotation that ended with Draymond Green as a small-ball starting center for the final months of the season.
Golden State do need to find some clarity in their center rotation, and particularly in regard to the starting spot with an unwillingness to push Green back to a role that asks so much of him physically.
Looney clearly isn't a solution to that issue though, with the Warriors having moved past him and Green as a starting combination given the offensive limitations. It leaves the 29-year-old as a bench option only, and even then the 15 minutes per game he got this season could be in jeopardy.
Looney's minutes reduced to just 10 per game during the playoffs where he averaged only 2.2 points and 3.6 rebounds while holding a -24 cumulative plus-minus. Perhaps Golden State value Looney's locker room presence enough to show interest in bringing him back, but clearly the on-court impact suggests he's worth nothing more than a minimum contract based on the current state of the roster.
That could leave the door open for rival teams to take advantage and provide a bigger financial offer, with the pacifical rival Los Angeles Lakers already linked to a move for Looney with the non-taxpayer mid-level exception.
The Warriors themselves, as of Monday, are now eligible to negotiate new deals with Looney and fellow veteran free agent Gary Payton II, but their futures appear to be on the back-burner until there's a resolution on the Kuminga situation.
Kuminga was unsurprisingly a hot topic during Mike Dunleavy Jr's press conference on Monday, with no questions surrounding the future of Looney despite his long-held stature at the franchise. That goes to show where interest revolving the Warriors sits right now, and may also signify the inevitability that Looney's time with the team is coming to an end.