Kevon Looney and Alen Smailagic on path to return soon for Warriors

Three newly healthy players could be joining the injury-laden Warriors sooner than later.

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For the first time in what seems like a long time, the Golden State Warriors got some good news as the team announced updates on three injured players.

Kevon Looney (neuropathic condition), Alen Smailagic (sprained right ankle) and Jacob Evans (strained left adductor) all received new timetables before the Warriors tipped off in Memphis.

The Dubs desperately need any of the three to return as soon as possible, as they’re currently rolling with only nine healthy players.

Before returning to Golden State, Anthony Slater of The Athletic first reported Looney would spend the next few days with the Warriors G League affiliate, the Santa Cruz Warriors. The Dubs took a similar approach with the return of fellow big men—Willie Cauley-Stein early in the year and DeMarcus Cousins last season.

The former UCLA Bruin has missed all but 10-minutes of the 2019-20 season, making things difficult for the Warriors thin front-line. Golden State has relied on Omari Spellman and Marquese Chriss to pick up time rotating with Cauley-Stein.

Coach Steve Kerr told reporters in Memphis that he wouldn’t rule Looney out for Monday night against the Oklahoma City Thunder, but he wouldn’t dismiss the possibility that he could actually play.

“We will see how everything goes in Santa Cruz,” Kerr said. “I wouldn’t rule anything out, but I wouldn’t count on anything at this point.”

The team said they will provide another update regarding Looney on Sunday.

Looney’s impending return isn’t the only piece of good news for the Warriors; rookie Alen Smailagic will also head to Santa Cruz to get some “accelerated on-court basketball activities,” the team announced. The Serbian hasn’t made his NBA debut yet after getting injured back in training camp.

Smailagic is a bit of a mystery, but the Warriors will take any healthy body they can at this point. At a minimum, Smailagic will provide a burst of excitement to a struggling team.

Lastly, the team announced that second-year man, Jacob Evans is making progress after straining his left adductor. The former Bearcat has missed 11-games and counting this season, and will be re-evaluated again in two weeks, the team announced.

For the team that leads the NBA in games missed to injury by a healthy amount, any sign of players returning is a sign of relief for ravaged Dubs.