The Golden State Warriors and veteran center Kevon Looney have officially parted ways after a decade together, with the beloved 3x champion signing a two-year, $16 million contract with the New Orleans Pelicans.
It's a tough blow for the Warriors given how much Looney has meant to the franchise over the past 10 years, particularly in recent times where his value as a leader and locker room presence has been significant.
At the same time, this also felt inevitable after Looney's role and playing time became more limited over the past 18 months. After starting 150 of his 164 games with the franchise in the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons, Looney lost his starting role to Trayce Jackson-Davis in 2023-24 and then saw his minutes reduced further with the emergence of Quinten Post as a floor-spacing big man.
As Tim Kawakami of The San Francisco Standard outlines, the Warriors were never going to go near the two-year, $16 million deal that the Pelicans have offered and ultimately signed Looney to.
The Warriors must have another veteran big man lined up
Letting Looney walk does signal that Golden State have another veteran center lined up, with little chance that the franchise just enters next season with youngsters in Jackson-Davis and Post.
All eyes are now on Boston Celtics big man and 5x All-Star free agent Al Horford, with the 39-year-old strongly linked as a top target for the Warriors. It remains to be seen whether the departure of Luke Kornet to the San Antonio Spurs will impact Horford's tenure in Boston, with the Celtics having also already traded Kristaps Porzingis to the Atlanta Hawks last week.
Either way, Anthony Slater of The Athletic has reported that Golden State identify the need for a veteran stretch big. Horford appears to be their primary target, but Milwaukee Bucks veteran Brook Lopez has also been liked to the Warriors previously, while Deandre Ayton has suddenly become a very prominent option for teams in need of a center after the former No. 1 overall pick executed a buyout with the Portland Trail Blazers.
Surely the Warriors wouldn't have just let Looney walk so quickly into free agency without something in the works, suggesting that Horford or another veteran big man is on their way to the Bay in a subsequent move over the coming hours or days.
Looney will be remembered fondly for his extraordinary impact at the Warriors, with Kawakami also stating that he could see a reunion at some point in the future much like what we saw with franchise legend Andre Iguodala.