With another NBA title in their possession, the Warriors will now see how much of their team they can keep together, writes Logan Murdock of The Ringer. One of the key pieces in question is center Kevon Looney, who will be an unrestricted free agent on June 30. Looney, who became the Golden State’s full-time starting center this season, said he hopes to re-sign with the team.
“This is definitely my no. 1 option,” he said. “I’ve been here my whole career. … So this will definitely be no. 1.”
Looney should far exceed the three-year, $14.4MM contract he just completed, and the Hornets and Kings are both expected to pursue him, Marc Stein writes in a story for Substack. New Sacramento head coach Mike Brown worked closely with Looney during his time as a Warriors assistant.
There’s more on the NBA champs:
- The Warriors also face a decision on Andrew Wiggins, who will be eligible for an extension this summer ahead of unrestricted free agency in 2023, Murdock adds in the same piece. Wiggins has excelled since coming to Golden State in a 2020 trade and was an important part of this year’s playoff run. “I would love to stay here,” Wiggins said during today’s exit interviews. “This is top-notch. The way they treat their players, the way they treat your family. We’re all one big family. A lot of places might say that, but here their actions show it.” (Twitter link from Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area).
- Free agent forward Otto Porter expressed a similar sentiment in his exit interview, tweets Kendra Andrews of ESPN. Porter will be back on the open market after signing a one-year, veterans minimum deal last summer. “I do know this team can compete for another championship,” he said. “And I think it would be a great opportunity if I can stay here. It would be an amazing to be here with this group of guys again and do it all over again.”
- The Warriors set a league record by spending more than $350MM on combined salary and luxury tax payments this season, and that number could easily top $400MM in the next two years, according to Bobby Marks of ESPN. He points out that it would reach $390MM if Looney and Gary Payton II are brought back at $6MM per year and would balloon to $430MM if the Warriors also use their mid-level exception.