After 10 years with the franchise, Kevon Looney never received a contract offer from the Warriors as a free agent this past summer, according to Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic.
As Sam Gordon of The San Francisco Chronicle explains, the 29-year-old big man wanted to stay with the only NBA team he’d ever played for, but the Warriors were in a holding pattern until Jonathan Kuminga‘s restricted free agency was resolved. With a two-year, $16MM offer in hand from the Pelicans, Looney knew he had to make a decision, but the choice wasn’t as easy as it might seem.
“You want to be somewhere forever … but you never know in the NBA. Business is business,” Looney told Gordon. “… It’s bittersweet. I’ve got an opportunity to go somewhere and experience something new, but leaving somewhere that I call home, it was something that was tough, and that I really had to think about.”
Looney was a healthy scratch when the Warriors traveled to New Orleans earlier this month. On Saturday, he returns to Golden State as an opponent for the first time — and the three-time champion knows he’ll receive a warm reception.
“The Warriors always do it top class,” Looney said, per Gordon. “But as far as emotions. I don’t know what to expect. I’m always asked if I’m going to cry. I’m like, ‘No I don’t think so,’ but I don’t know. We’ll see when I get there.”
While Looney’s on-court production has been limited this season with the Pelicans, averaging just 2.4 points and 4.0 rebounds in 13.1 minutes per game, the Warriors miss his leadership, rebounding, toughness, and “bone-crushing screens,” Thompson writes. For his part, Looney tells Gordon the Bay Area will “always be home for me.”
“The love they showed me, the family-oriented vibe of the Bay is something I’ve always been based off of. … For them to love me as one of their own is something I’ll always respect,” he said.