As the Golden State Warriors entered free agency, many expected them to make the painful and unfortunate move of letting veteran center Kevon Looney depart to another team.
However, now that the act has been done, with Looney signing a two-year, $16 million deal with the New Orleans Pelicans, the Warriors have a tall task ahead in finding a center who can replicate the understanding and hustle that Looney showed throughout his tenure in The Bay.
With limited options on the market, Golden State now has their work cut out for them this offseason, and, as the days go on, this need becomes even more desperate.
Finding a Looney replacement will be harder than it seems
Looney, across 10 seasons with the Warriors, averaged five points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.6 assists across 599 games, winning three championships and playing an integral role in the team’s unlikely run to the 2022 title.
However, this past season, with the emergence of Quinten Post and the odd positional workings of Trayce Jackson-Davis, Looney’s role was reduced, and, were he to have returned for next season, he could have expected to take a serious paycut.
Therefore, no one can blame Looney for finding a new team with a larger role available for him. However, Golden State is now stuck attempting to find a center who can replicate his defensive impact and understand the unique aspects of the team’s Stephen Curry-centric offensive system.
While, by the end of his time with the Warriors, Looney no longer played a major offensive role, he could always be relied upon by head coach Steve Kerr to make the right plays and decisions in tense in-game moments.
With Brook Lopez, the top center free agent this offseason, having already signed with the Los Angeles Clippers, and Myles Turner, who was shockingly made available, already having signed a massive contract with the Milwaukee Bucks, Golden State’s best positional options now lie in veteran Al Horford and reclamation project Deandre Ayton.
Ayton, although he is an intriguing young player, almost certainly does not possess the intensity and dependability to replicate Looney’s success.
Horford, as an NBA veteran and long-dependable big man, certainly has a chance, but adjusting to Kerr’s system, which centers around dynamic ball movement and creating perimeter opportunites for Curry, is not something Horford has typically been a part of throughout his career.
Therefore, while the Warriors must find a center who can alleviate some of the defensive burden on Draymond Green, he must also be able to slide into the dependable offensive role that Looney took on throughout his career: a major ask for any free agent the franchise might pursue.
