[Sidery/Kawakimi] Kevon Looney will likely be released by the Warriors to save money on their tax bill. Only $3 million of Looney’s $8 million salary is guaranteed until it fully locks in on June 24. If Looney is released, expect plenty of interest.
by UnbiasedNBAFan_
31 Comments
Dray last night to Loon during their live post game pod: “Your future with the Warriors, $3 mil guaranteed, $8 mil salary. **There’s a bunch of things going around, nobody knows what the hell they’re talking about.**”
Dray was rolling his eyes as he said this to Loon about his contract and this off season. Clearly referring to TK/The Athletic guys on their podcast last week just talking made up bullshit, including this TK quote, about what’s gonna happen with the players with options or going into free agency.
About as close to a straight up confirmation that The Athletic guys don’t actually have any intel or sourcing for any of their off season prediction takes, as has long seemed obvious. They’re just making uninformed (and bad) guesses like everyone else.
This would be devastating
😭
Love Loon but he gotta rest those 80 year old hips. Will always remember him locking up Harden in 2018 and Sabonis in 2022
Listened to the pod the other day and it just came off as speculation, cause that $8M is a lot and his on court production wasn’t exactly worth it. Said something about how if his option is picked or guaranteed, he’d expect the FO to look to trade him as salary filler soon after.
Didn’t seem like he was going off anything he’s heard from the FO, just his own impressions given the current payroll. Not really worth aggregating into a story, but here we are.
Also mentioned waiving Looney and then trying to re-sign him on a min. So $3M + vet min… still a good amount of money, but maybe some other playoff team comes in offering more. He had a down year, but you’re telling me someone like Denver or Philly or wherever couldn’t use a genuine backup 5 like Kevon? Mike Brown and Sac wouldn’t want him if he cost just a hair over a vet min?
It’d suck, Loon is the man. Dubs have tried to replace him multiple times, from Damion Jones to Bell to Wiseman and other FA swings/misses, he’s outlasted all of them. They’ve let him test FA multiple times and he’s thankfully stayed, guess other teams aren’t sure if his production would translate to their system? Seems he wants to stay here, but at what point will he get fed up with the FO?
Hope they work something out. It’d make sense to use either his or GP2’s contract as salary filler in a bigger trade, need those mid tier deals to help match and round stuff out, but it’d be a bummer to see either gone, Loon especially.
Salute to Loon. Obviously a REAL ONE.
But his body ain’t got consistent NBA games left in it.
It’s time to move on. MDJ ain’t sentimental.
Whatever it takes to move that Arrow up.
Warriors legend
Integral to the championship runs but hardly made enough money to retire comfortably for an NBA player. Kind of messed up.
The era that wouldn’t end is ending more each year.
Looney is awesome and I’m a fan of Looney the player and Looney the person.
Having said that his performance was down this year and we already have to many players on the roster that don’t get guarded outside the paint.
While it would be great to see him back on a cheaper deal I 100% wouldn’t be surprised to see another team claim him.
feels like yesterday , Looney was Avg 20+ Reb in the playoff for us
Oh man sad times. Hopefully we bring him back for whatever Curry and Green’s last season will be. Maybe for the Iggy role and the vibes.
This one hurts bro
Can he be an assistant coach?
I’m literally a little sad right now. Like finding out a good friend is moving away.
I get it, I’d probably make the same call. But it just sucks to not have Looney there.
I didn’t watch this season but is Kevon truly gassed out? He’s still young at 28, did injuries ruin him? He used to be iron man playing every game if I’m not mistaken.
Guys take this with a grain of salt. This tweet is referencing a podcast where Kawakami even says he’s not getting this from a source and its just a pure guess/speculation
o7 soldier u won’t be forgotten within those dynasty years
It is also possible to apply the stretch provision on Looney so that he counts 1M in dead cap for the next 3 years. However, doing so means we can’t re sign him for less.
Assuming CP3 is also gone, that leaves 34M under the tax and 41.6M under the first apron (subtract 2M from each of those numbers if no stretch) with 10 guys under contract. With a 2nd rounder and a partial MLE (13M) to fill out the roster we can stay under the apron (but not necessarily the tax) even if Klay comes back. If he’s gone, we can use the full MLE and biannual (4.7M) and still take back salary in a hypothetical trade of either Wiggins or Klay S+T.
Dude aged so badly like wtf.
2022 was a godlike season for him
He’ll almost certainly return on a minimum tbh
Loon>Dray
Loongod!
Can they release and sign him on a vet min?
Dam is one of my favs
Unironic warriors legend Kevon Looney. The definition of a team player, a pillar of strength in numbers, the second coming of Hakeem on his day and just an all around good dude
LOON GOD more than a cult hero he was really out here playing 82 games a year and grabbing 20 boards in the playoffs at 6’9 and 55 year old hips. Gonna miss him forsure
Pour some Fitaid out for Loongod.
It just makes sense. If they can find a draft pick or vet min guy that can produce more than last year’s looney at a cheaper price, then they should go for it.
I will always give Looney his props but, sadly, I just don’t see Looney recovering from his slowing body from an already slow body. He’s given us his all but it’s just the facts, the warriors need mobile bigs.
Please address him by his proper name: 3 time NBA champ Kevon Looney