Kevon Looney's departure from the Golden State Warriors has hardly gone according to plan, with the 3x NBA champion struggling to make any on-court impact at the New Orleans Pelicans after signing in free agency.
There appears little sign of a path back to the Pelicans rotation for Looney either, having once again been a DNP across their most recent back-to-back against the Phoenix Suns.
Kevon Looney is no longer making any on-court impact
Saturday's 123-114 loss at Smoothie King Center was Looney's 11th-straight DNP under interim head coach James Borrego. With rookie sensation Derik Queen moving into the starting center role, there's been no room for the former Warrior who has also found himself behind second-year big man Yves Missi.
Looney last played in a game on December 2 in an overtime loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, having seen nearly 12 minutes of action where he recorded three rebounds, an assist and comitted four personal fouls.
After signing a two-year, $16 million deal with the Pelicans in free agency, Looney has only made 12 appearances after starting the season on the sidelines due to injury. The 29-year-old returned and played in seven consecutive games, but has seen incredibly limited playing time since.
The issue now for Looney is that his $8 million contract for next season is actually a team option, something the Pelicans are sure to turn down unless things drastically change. They could always trade the 3x NBA champion before the February 5 mid-season deadline, albeit it would likely have to be as part of a bigger deal where a rival team takes on his salary in addition to acquiring a valuable player like Trey Murphy III or Herb Jones.
That's why it's not totally impossible to see the Warriors reuniting with Looney, having showed significant interest in both Murphy and Jones in recent weeks. Failing that, perhaps Golden State could reunite with Looney if he becomes a free agent next summer and is willing to take a minimum contract.
Either way, the Warriors have certainly been vindicated for their decision to let Looney walk -- an $8 million annual salary always looked grossly overs given his declining impact in the Bay over the previous two seasons.
Even if his replacement, Al Horford, hasn't exactly lived up to expectations just yet, Golden State certainly made the right move even if there was a heart-breaking element to saying goodbye to such a beloved figure at the franchise.