Since being drafted with the No. 30 overall selection in the 2015 NBA Draft, Kevon Looney’s journey has taken place in a Golden State Warriors uniform. From a little-used reserve to a key rotation piece and, ultimately, a starting center for the 2022 NBA champions, Looney’s undeniable progression is a tremendous story, and he timed his breakout well in advance of unrestricted free agency during the 2022 offseason.
Looney enjoyed reported interest from other franchises but, in the end, he will return to San Francisco, per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
Free agent center Kevon Looney has agreed to a three-year, $25.5M deal to return to Golden State, sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2022
The news and the price tag were confirmed by Anthony Slater of The Athletic, who added the final year of the deal is partially guaranteed.
Kevon Looney is returning to the Warriors on a three-year, $25.5 million deal, per sources. @wojespn first. Additional details: First year of deal starts around $7 million. Third year of deal has a partial guarantee of $3 million.
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) July 1, 2022
Looney is an incredibly strong defender that helped to anchor a tremendous Golden State defense during the title run. He averaged a career-best 7.3 rebounds per game (in 21.1 minutes) during the 2021-22 campaign, and Looney also appeared in all 82 regular season games. That was the precursor to another leap in the playoffs when Looney averaged 5.8 points and 7.6 rebounds per game for the Warriors. That included a pair of double-doubles in the Western Conference Finals against the Dallas Mavericks and a 22-rebound effort against the Memphis Grizzlies.
Though Looney is not primed for a superstar turn, he is clearly a valuable piece for Golden State. That is made even more clear by the luxury tax investment required to retain his services, but Looney brings a valuable and lofty baseline at the center position that should be quite valuable for the Warriors in the near future.