Warriors starting center Kevon Looney, who signed a three-year contract worth up to $25.5MM to remain in Golden State this summer, hopes to remain with the only NBA team he has ever known for the duration of his career, per Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area.
“This is the team I got drafted to,” Looney said on NBC Sports Bay Area’s podcast Dubs Talk last month. “I love living out here. I know the system, I know the players, I know the guys. It’s home for me. This is where I wanted to be. “I’ve had a lot of great vets over the years, and they always told me to stay here as long as possible. The culture like this, it isn’t like that everywhere else. All of that was in the back of my head going into free agency.”
Poole notes that Looney was finally promoted to a starting role with the Warriors during the team’s 2021/22 championship season after spending his first six years in the league as a backup big man. Looney enjoyed one of his best regular seasons last year, appearing in all 82 games for the first time in his career, while averaging 6.0 PPG on 57.1% shooting from the floor, along with 7.3 RPG, and 2.0 APG across 21.1 MPG.
There’s more out of Golden State:
- Warriors team president Bob Myers is fully aware that the cost of the team’s roster next season projects to be at least $483MM in player salaries and luxury tax payments, writes Kendra Andrews of ESPN. “I cannot evaluate what we are going to do next season until we see what happens this season,” Myers said with regard to his team’s future roster-building in a Sunday press conference. “I just know this: There’s a huge commitment to winning. There always has been, and I believe there always will be. I am lucky to be in an [ownership] group that believes that. Their actions prove it.”
- Warriors head coach Steve Kerr suggested on Monday that he will have something of a minutes cap for starters Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins, Draymond Green and Kevon Looney on opening night. As Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area relays (via Twitter), Kerr thinks those players are not quite yet ready to play 30-plus minutes to begin the 2022/23 season. “It’s fine,” Kerr said, adding that the team will rely on its depth this week. “You just adapt and adjust.”
- Warriors power forward Draymond Green, who has not been signed to an extension despite the team dishing out lucrative long-term deals for his teammates Jordan Poole and Andrew Wiggins, is a good bet to pick up his $27.6MM player option for the 2023/24 season, posits Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter video link). Wojnarowski initially said Green will “almost assuredly” exercise that option before clarifying that it’s “probably the most likely scenario” based on his projected market.
IMO, this is a nice way to say Draymond Green is done with Warriors
The full comments of Bob Myers
“Draymond’s in a great spot. He’s got a player option. … It’s a great position for a player to be in. You control your destiny. … I imagine he’ll have a fantastic year. I think he will. He’s got a lot on the line.”
Jordan Poole Incentives are crazy per season basis
Poole will make an extra $1 million if he wins MVP.
Poole will make an extra $1 million if he wins Defensive Player of the Year.
If Poole wins above two awards in a single season, he get $2 million
LOL
If RJ Barrett wins both awards, Knicks give them $2 million?
Finally the season starts with 2 good opening games, Home teams probably win, unless the Warriors focus on their rings over the game that comes after.
Oh would you look at that? All of GSW is staying 1-team their whole careers, cool, that’s what is going to happen, so lets stop pointlessly talking about what is never going to happen, unless he suddenly can shoot again, Draymond likely will take a discount to stay, so lets stop talking about it! Lets move on and watch Steph cook everyone on his way to ring #5!
Happy Opening Night to GSW fans only!
I find it funny Laker and Clipper fans pretending Klay is going to go south when he is a free agent in 2 years. They will be so far over the cap they will not have any money to spend on Klay.
They should raise the luxury tax line. The warriors are trying to re-sign their own homegrown guys. The salary cap prevents teams from adding a lot of guys. Luxury tax shouldn’t penalize teams who draft well.