Kevon Looney exercising $5.1 million option to return to Warriors in 2021-22
Adrian Wojnarowski: Kevon Looney is exercising his $5.1M option to return to the Golden State Warriors next season, sources tell ESPN.
NBA Rumor: Kevon Looney Free Agency
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Kevon Looney has until August 1 to opt in to his $5.2 million contract for 2021-22. After missing 42 games in 2019-20 with an injury, Looney played in all but 10 games this past season. He has a +1.4 net rating in 18.4 minutes per game this season and is one of the Warriors better defenders (106.7 defensive rating) because of his versatility. However, it is unlikely that he would receive more than his $5.2 million contract on the open market.
Mark Medina: Warriors announced the signing of Glenn Robinson III. Plenty of these signings will be official today – Klay Thompson and Kevon Looney in particular.
Once the roster is finalized, Golden State will project to have $138.5M in salary, $430K below the tax apron. The salary factors in the new contract of Kevon Looney, second round picks- Eric Paschall and Alen Smailagic, along with three minimum free agent contracts.
Kevon Looney back to Warriors
Shams Charania: Sources: Free agent Kevon Looney has agreed to a three-year, $15M deal to return to Golden State.
Shams Charania: The Warriors met with Looney over the weekend in Los Angeles and reached agreement with him and his agent, Todd Ramasar, on Monday. Looney has been indispensable on the court in his Golden State career. He returns for $15M.
The Warriors had issued Bell a $1.8 million qualifying offer last week to make him a restricted free agent. But the Warriors have no plans to match Bell’s offer sheet, in hopes to maximize cap space available to retain Kevon Looney.
Chris Haynes: Golden State is currently meeting with Kevon Looney in Los Angeles in an attempt to re-sign the versatile big man, league sources tell Yahoo Sports.
Mark Medina: Kevon Looney also plans to speak with the Chicago Bulls tomorrow when free agency begins
Marc Stein: The Rockets have a free-agent recruitment session arranged for Sunday with Warriors center Kevon Looney, league sources say
NOLA, Houston interested in Kevon Looney
Sean Deveney: Among the players that interest the Rockets, as cited by Sam Amick of the Athletic, is Warriors big man Kevon Looney, who is a free agent. He figures to be a much-pursued player once June 30 rolls around, according to sources. Another team expected to show interest in Looney is the Pelicans
Sean Deveney: Golden State is expected to move quickly to keep Looney from exploring the market too deeply, because the more he hears from teams like New Orleans and Houston, the more tempted he might be to leave.
Anthony Slater: Don’t think this affects Kevon Looney’s free agency. This isn’t a debilitating injury. He’s shown the league what he can do. Warriors will prioritize him. His market (which varies, depending on who you ask) shouldn’t be altered by this news.
When asked about Looney’s upcoming free agency, Steve Kerr replied: “He’s an integral piece for us, especially for the modern game, the switching. I know every coach would love to have him in back, so we’ll see how it goes. He’s just smart as hell. Both ends. He just gets it. He just understands the game and happens to have really long arms. He’s become a really good player.”
Based on my survey of salary cap aficionados, general managers and other basketball ops workers, I believe the Warriors will still be getting a bargain if Looney re-signs this summer. The responses were remarkably consistent. Every person I asked listed a figure in the $3 million to $5 million range. Even if the aforementioned market forces make such an affordable deal understandable, anything in that range seems like a win for the Warriors. Factor in how Looney has shown recent flashes of a mid-range game and there’s even more reason to like a multi-year deal at those prices.
Monte Poole: ‘I’d love to stay here. I like being on this team. I want to be there when Chase Center opens later this year.’ -C/F Kevon Looney, responding today to Steve Kerr’s plea for Warriors to re-sign Loon this summer.
Monte Poole: How much does Steve Kerr appreciate Kevon Looney? The morning after Game 3 vs Clippers, the Warriors coach made a pitch for signing Loon to a long-term deal this summer.
Mark Medina: Warriors make re-signing of Kevon Looney official.
Fourth-year forward Kevon Looney agreed to re-sign with the Warriors on a one-year, veteran’s minimum deal, league sources confirmed to Bay Area News Group. ESPN first reported the news.
Looney wanted to entertain other more lucrative offers with teams that could offer a larger role. Though he also fielded interest from the Los Angeles Clippers, Houston Rockets, Philadelphia 76ers and Atlanta Hawks, Looney found it more appealing to stay with the Warriors because of his ongoing development and the team’s recent championship success. Looney has also set himself up for potentially another breakout season that could yield more offseason interest next summer.
Bobby Marks: Cap hit on the Kevon Looney one-year minimum in Golden State is $1,512,601 with the forward earning $1,567,007 based on 3 years of service. Looney will have bird rights next summer after his 2018-19 team option was declined. Golden St. now with 12 players under contract.
Chris Haynes: Sources: It’s a one-year, minimum deal.
Chris Haynes: Free agent forward Kevon Looney has reached an agreement to re-sign with Golden State, league sources tell ESPN.
Brad Turner: Clippers have talked to Kevon Looney but no deal imminent, sources
Mark Medina: After free agency began, Warriors reached out and reiterated their interest in keeping Kevon Looney. bayareane.ws/2z08D8y
After the Championship Parade in Oakland on Tuesday, Looney joined Chris Townsend, Matt Steinmetz and Daryle “The Guru” Johnson on 95.7 The Game to discuss how he’s approaching his first crack at free agency. “I mean, this is my first time experiencing it, so I’m just trying to listen to people around me,” Looney said on 95.7 The Game. “I’ve got some great vets on this team to talk to that have been through this situation that I’m going to lean on and my agents and stuff like that and do what’s best for me.”
“But this has been a great team for me. I have a chance to play on this team and win a championship every year. So that’s something that’s hard to turn down. (It’s) the team that drafted me. So, they’ve all got a special place in my heart.” “So, it’s going to be tough this summer. Whatever happens happens and I’m just going to do what’s best.”
Logan Murdock: Steve Kerr said he’d love to get younger on the bench: “We’d love to get Loon and Patrick back.”
Logan Murdock: Steve Kerr on Kevon Looney’s future: “He’s going to have a long career. Hopefully with us.”
That’s where the complications reside. Under league rules, the Warriors can’t offer Looney more than a starting salary of $2.3 million this offseason. He’s unrestricted. If he keeps playing like this, if he keeps impacting the game on the season’s biggest stage, someone may toss an offer at him he can’t refuse, especially if they’re aware of this fact: at 22, he’s still the youngest player on the Warriors roster. “It could be that you don’t pick up the option, he phones it in, everybody’s upset,” Myers said. “But in these situations, you’d rather be proved wrong, right? Because the way he’s playing right now, he’s helping us win playoff games. I’ll take that any day.”
“There’s not a lot of money on this market. You weigh the options. If it’s one of those situations where you’re going to a bad team for a couple extra dollars, maybe you don’t want to do that. But he’s earned himself the right to weigh his options.” Said Looney: “My agent brings it up sometimes, tells me the free-agent market changes every year. The money’s not always the same. He talks about this summer might be a slow summer money-wise. I don’t know what’s going to happen in the summer, but I’m prepared for everything.”
The Warriors have to evaluate if third-year forward Kevon Looney (unrestricted free agent) … [is] worth developing at the pace they would like and worth the price to counteract any possible outside interest. “They always tell me if somebody comes and gives me a better offer, you should take it. But this is a team where it’s all about winning,” Looney said. “I’d love to be here and be a part of this. It’s something to think about, for sure.”
Now, with the playoffs less than a week away, Looney has hushed anyone who questioned whether he was an NBA-caliber player. A free agent in July, he figures to have no shortage of suitors. “Things have started falling into place for him,” said assistant coach Ron Adams, the Warriors’ defensive architect. “He didn’t start the season with a great window to play even. So, guys like that, I’m happy for and I have a lot of respect for.”
On Oct 31, the Warriors made the decision not to exercise forward Kevon Looney’s team option for the 2018-19 season, making him a free agent. Looney, however, remains relaxed. “I don’t really think about it,” said Looney after the Warriors 97-80 win over the Miami Heat. “Everything will work itself out. I just try to put it in the back of my mind”
The Warriors decided to pick up the option of second-year center Damian Jones and elected not to do the same for Looney because of what amounted to a numbers game. Looney’s option, which was worth about $2.2 million, would have put the team further into the luxury tax for next season. That meant they had to choose between the two big men, making Looney the odd man out. “I mean I wasn’t shocked,” Looney said of the decision. “I kind of knew going into it what was going to happen. I wasn’t surprised.”
Golden State will clear $2.3M off their books next season by not picking up the 4th year option for Kevon Looney. The former first round pick will be an unrestricted free agent but the Warriors will be restricted on offering him a salary greater than $2.3M, the amount of the declined option.
Chris Haynes: Golden State will not exercise 4th-year option of Kevon Looney, league sources tell ESPN. He’ll become an unrestricted at end of season.
Chris Haynes: Sources: Warriors ecstatic about Looney’s development, but tax ramifications forced their hands. Damian Jones to have 3rd-year picked up.
August 30, 2024 | 7:12 pm EDT Update
Ivica Zubac signs three-year contract extension with Clippers
Adrian Wojnarowski: Los Angeles Clippers C Ivica Zubac has agreed on a three-year, $58.6 million contract extension, Mike Lindeman and Jeff Schwartz of @excelbasketball tell ESPN. Zubac gets max available for his three seasons and now is guaranteed four years and $70M.
Former Jazz player Travis Leslie signed with Mexican team Astros de Jalisco for the 2024 season.
Memphis Grizzlies PR: The @Memphis Grizzlies today announced the following medical update:
Stephen Curry and his wife, Ayesha, through their foundation are raising $25 million for Oakland students to be applied toward bridging the literacy gap, they announced Thursday, the day he agreed to a one-year, $62.6 million contract extension with Golden State.
According to a news release issued by Eat. Learn. Play., the money will go toward tutoring in reading and writing for approximately 10,000 elementary school students in the Oakland Unified School District the next five years. The foundation also committed last September to raise and invest $50 million in resources for Oakland students by the end of the 2025-26 academic year.
As part of a five-part documentary series produced by the NBA, Toronto rookie Ulrich Chomche has been highlighted for his journey to the NBA. Born & Bred highlights African players following through on their dreams to make the NBA. “‘Small Village. Big Dreams’ features Ulrich Chomche, an 18-year-old forward from Bafang, Cameroon, who is set to make his NBA debut later this year during the 2024-25 NBA season,” an NBA release about the documentary read.
Julia Poe: Chicago Bulls rookie Matas Buzelis is posted up courtside with Shaquille O’Neal for tonight’s Chicago Sky game against the Indiana Fever
August 30, 2024 | 6:27 pm EDT Update
Kevin Huerter will be re-evaluated in October for shoulder injury
Mark Haynes: Kings forward Kevin Huerter has been cleared for on-court workouts, shooting drills and a complete strength training program. He will be re-evaluated in mid-October prior to being cleared for full contact court activity, per team.
