Report: Warriors likely to release Kevon Looney

Jun 11, 2024, 11:03 AM | Updated: 1:32 pm

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 23: Kevon Looney #5 of the Golden State Warriors goes up for a sh...

(Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

Lead Editor & Kings Beat Writer

The Golden State Warriors will look to shed salary this summer as they attempt to lower their tax bill.

One player who will likely be in the market for a new basketball home this summer is longtime Warriors center Kevon Looney, who has $3 million of his $8 million salary guaranteed for the 2024-25 season.

According to The Athletic‘s Tim Kawakami, Golden State will likely cut Looney before his salary for 2024-25 becomes fully guaranteed on June 24th.

Kevon Looney will likely be released by the Warriors to save money on their tax bill, per @timkawakami (https://t.co/NkncufZeZ0).

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. pic.twitter.com/WDUWojDAAp

— Evan Sidery (@esidery) June 10, 2024

Looney, 26, has played his entire nine-year career with the Warriors after being selected with the 30th pick in the 2015 NBA Draft.

If Looney’s time with Golden State is indeed over, the 6’9 center will end his Warriors career with three NBA championships (2017, 2018, and 2022) and averages of 5.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 1.6 assists over 523 games (256 starts).

“The ball isn’t in my court,” Looney said of his future during a guest appearance this week on current teammate Draymond Green’s podcast.

“I don’t have full control over my destiny, so I kind of have to play the waiting game, control what I can control. I’ve been here my whole career. I don’t know nothing else. You always want to finish what you started and be somewhere for your whole career, but I’ve been in this business long enough to know that’s not realistic. I’m preparing myself for whatever. My family’s out here, the Bay’s been great to me. They treat me like family, I grew up here.

“I haven’t really thought about it too far. I’m trying to see what they’re going to do first before I push the envelope and see what I want to do.”

Golden State must also decide on franchise legend Klay Thompson’s future with the organization as the 34-year-old enters free agency.

Could the Sacramento Kings pursue Kevon Looney?

Reserve centers JaVale McGee and Alex Len will both enter free agency this summer.

McGee, 36, played sporadically during his first–and likely last–season with the Sacramento Kings, while Len took on the bulk of this season’s backup center minutes behind All-NBA big Domantas Sabonis.

Len, who just finished his fourth season in a King’s uniform, is a candidate to return on another one-year, league-minimum deal, but general manager Monte McNair could look to shake up a rotation that has been largely intact since the start of the 2022-23 season.

There is some familiarity between Looney and Sacramento, as head coach Mike Brown was the Warriors’ defensive coordinator during Looney’s three-title run with the organization from 2017-2022.

If Looney is in the market for a short-term, low-money deal, the Kings could fill Len’s spot with the center that gave Sacramento nightmares during the 2023 NBA Playoffs (15.1 rebounds per game).

The Kings have much larger holes to fill in its rotation than the backup center spot alone, but adding Looney could give the team a different edge off the bench as they look to return to the postseason in 2025.

When is the next NBA off-season date of interest?

The NBA Draft is now a two-night event.

Wednesday, June 26th, will act as the first night of the 2024 NBA Draft, where the Sacramento Kings will make their first-round selection (13th). The second round of the draft will be held on Thursday, June 27th, where the Kings will use its 45th overall pick.

Sacramento hasn’t had a first-round pick since 2022, when it selected Iowa product Keegan Murray with the fourth overall pick.

Stay locked into Sactown Sports for all of your Kings draft coverage, including player profiles, reports regarding pre-draft workouts, draft night coverage, and much more.

NBA Offseason Schedule