Tag: Kevon Looney

Steve Kerr praises two key veteran role players

Steve Kerr had some high praise for two of his veteran role players following the Golden State Warriors win over the Utah Jazz.

When you think of the Golden State Warriors, you instantly think of Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Chris Paul. Yet, it was Gary Payton II and Kevon Looney who received praise following their roles in the Warriors’ win over the Utah Jazz on Sunday (April 7).

Head coach Steve Kerr praised his two veteran role players when speaking to the media after the game. He noted how their play styles are important to the roster and how both players can be relied upon night in and night out.

“I love watching Gary play,” Kerr said. “There’s an energy about him. He also makes the right play. Constantly catching the ball and swinging it. That’s the way he can dive and finish at the rim. He’s a terrific player. I thought Loon was great tonight. He’s been out of the rotation quite a bit. I hated ending his consecutive-game streak. It was awful. But we did what we needed to do to get our team going…Now, he’s played the last five games…Really fun to see him out there.”

Looney and Payton II have been in and out of Golden State’s rotation this season due to lineup management or injury. Nevertheless, both veterans have been impactful on the court when healthy and in the rotation.

Golden State will need their role players to continue stepping up in the coming weeks. The franchise has a tough road to the playoffs, with two play-in tournament games potentially on the horizon.

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Kevon Looney: ‘I had the best years of my career learning from Dejan Milojevic’

Kevon Looney, a mainstay with the Warriors during their most successful years, has had various roles throughout his career with the team. His experiences extend beyond the court, too, including a recording session with rapper MAYZIN, where he lent …

Kevon Looney, a mainstay with the Warriors during their most successful years, has had various roles throughout his career with the team. His experiences extend beyond the court, too, including a recording session with rapper MAYZIN, where he lent his voice to the single ‘Hot Coffee’.

On behalf of Invisalign, the Warriors’ big man spoke with HoopsHype on the unfortunate passing of coach Dejan Milojevic, the emergence of Jonathan Kuminga, the struggles of the season, and more.

What’s next for Klay Thompson and Warriors in free agency? “He’s a Warrior for life no matter what”

Previewing 2024 NBA free agency for Klay Thompson and Golden State Warriors, with reporting from HoopsHype Senior NBA Insider Michael Scotto.

With Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, and coach Steve Kerr signed through the 2025-26 season, will Klay Thompson be the next Warriors cornerstone piece to get a new deal in free agency this summer?

Thompson, a five-time All-Star before suffering a torn ACL and Achilles that caused him to miss two and a half seasons, is among the top free agents available this summer.

With that in mind, HoopsHype asked eight NBA executives for their free agent projections for Thompson. Three executives believed Thompson would get $18-20 million annually, and the other five predicted he’d get $20-25 million annually. Four executives believed Golden State would ideally try to align Thompson with his fellow “Splash Brother,” Curry, on a two-year deal. Green, meanwhile, has a player option for the 2026-27 season.

Warriors rumors: Kevon Looney could be a potential trade chip

The veteran big man could be a potential trade chip for the Golden State Warriors heading into the February 8 trade deadline.

The NBA trade deadline continues to draw closer. The Golden State Warriors are expected to continue exploring options as they seek ways to improve their roster. However, recent reporting has noted the team is likelier to make a marginal move rather than swing for the fences.

Kevon Looney appears to be the latest name expected to be floated as a potential trade chip by the Warriors. Yahoo Sports Jake Fischer reported his $7.5 million salary could be a legitimate tool to facilitate a move to bring fresh talent to the Bay Area. Looney’s playing time has decreased in recent weeks following Steve Kerr‘s implementation of a new-look frontcourt. 

“Kevon Looney has seen a dramatic decline in his involvement for the Warriors,” Fischer wrote. “Looney’s $7.5 million salary could be exchanged for various options, whether Golden State ultimately determines it requires shooting, more defensive wing depth or anything else on the trade market’s current menu.”

Looney has been with the Warriors for his entire NBA career. He was drafted with the 30th pick in the 2015 draft. He has won two championships with the franchise, playing a legitimate role in both of those playoff runs. This season, Looney is averaging 5.2 points, 6.7 rebounds and 2.3 assists, shooting 61.8% from the field.

Given his size, strength and rebounding ability, Looney is likely to have admirers around the NBA. However, finding a team willing to part with a core rotation player as part of a trade is never easy. As such, there’s no guarantee we see Looney swap teams at the trade deadline, but his diminishing role certainly means there’s a possibility.

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Ranking the top 5 Thunder targets ahead of trade deadline

Ranking the top 5 Thunder targets ahead of trade deadline.

The NBA trade deadline is a little over a day away, which means the Oklahoma City Thunder could soon welcome new additions to their roster.

The Thunder (35-16) are in the thick of the race for the first seed as the All-Star break approaches. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has played like an MVP candidate; Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams help carve out an impressive trio.

This means this will be the first deadline OKC will be viewed as buyers in quite some time as it prepares for its first playoffs since 2020.

Odds are, the Thunder won’t make any drastic moves to the roster by Feb. 8. If OKC makes a deal, it’ll likely be to strengthen its depth and help fix some of its rebounding woes.

Entering the deadline, the Thunder are wealthy in trade capital — they have several young prospects they could trade along with an unending supply of draft picks.

If the Thunder wanted to, they could outbid anybody in the league for someone’s services.

Thunder Wire is ranking the top five trade targets for the Thunder as the trade deadline approaches:

3 backup bigs that make sense for Thunder at trade deadline

3 backup bigs that make sense for Thunder at trade deadline.

The Oklahoma City Thunder will enter the Feb. 8 trade deadline as buyers for the first time in several years.

Sitting at 32-13 and in first place in the Western Conference standings, the Thunder hope to make a run at the playoffs for the first time since 2020.

The Thunder have broken open a contention window led by MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams round out one of the league’s best trios.

While OKC is not expected to make any blockbuster deals, expect it to possibly make minor upgrades to improve its depth.

The biggest weakness for the Thunder is their rebounding. OKC’s 47.7% rebounding rate and 41.2 rebounds per game both sit at 28th in the league. Outside of Holmgren, the Thunder doesn’t possess a traditional center.

This will likely be the top priority for Thunder general manager Sam Presti heading into the trade deadline. Adding a backup center with no long-term money committed could provide a boost to the roster.

The Thunder have plenty of draft capital and young prospects to facilitate any type of deal. Scouring through the league, let’s look at three bench big options OKC could add.

Warriors make change to starting lineup vs. Nuggets

The veteran center will return to the Warriors’ starting lineup on Thursday against Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets.

Since Draymond Green’s indefinite suspension, Steve Kerr has tinkered with the Golden State Warriors’ starting lineup. Jonathan Kuminga, Chris Paul, Brandon Podziemski and Trayce Jackson-Davis have shuffled in and out of the starting lineup.

Before meeting Nikola Jokic and the defending champion Denver Nuggets on Thursday evening at Chase Center, Kerr plans to make another change to the starting lineup.

Rookie center Jackson-Davis will go back to the bench while veteran Kevon Looney will join Kuminga, Paul, Steph Curry and Klay Thompson in the lineup against the Nuggets.

Podziemski has started eight of the Warriors’ last 10 games. Jackson-Davis has been in the starting lineup in two, including the Warriors’ recent win over the Orlando Magic. Looney has started 28 of the Warriors’ 33 games this season.

The Warriors will meet the Nuggets at 7 p.m. PT on Thursday evening in San Francisco.

This post originally appeared on Warriors Wire! Follow us on Facebook and Twitter! 

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Injury Report: Kevon Looney (illness) questionable vs. Mavericks on Saturday

The veteran center is listed as questionable against the Mavericks due to an illness.

Playing in 223 straight games, Kevon Looney is one of the NBA’s true ironmen. However, his streak could be in jeopardy on Saturday against the Dallas Mavericks. 

The Golden State Warriors veteran center is listed as questionable on Saturday against the Mavericks due to a general illness. If Looney is unable to go, the Warriors will be short-handed in the frontcourt. Dario Saric and rookie Trayce Jackson-Davis could see an increase in playing time if Looney is unavailable.

Via @anthonyVslater on Twitter:

While Looney’s status is questionable, Gary Payton II has been cleared to return to the court after missing the last 13 games due to a calf strain.

This post originally appeared on Warriors Wire! Follow us on Facebook and Twitter! 

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Steve Kerr discusses Kevon Looney’s impact

The Golden State Warriors head coach praised Kevon Looney’s control and poise against the Sacramento Kings.

Kevon Looney continues to impress for the Golden State Warriors. The veteran big man plays bigger than his size and provides his team with high-level value on the glass and as a secondary scorer around the rim. On Sunday, Oct. 29, Looney displayed his rebounding skills as he pulled down 11 boards against the Houston Rockets.

During his post-game press conference, head coach Steve Kerr discussed Looney’s performance and overall value to Golden State’s roster. He also noted how he’s never surprised when Looney pulls a big performance out of nowhere while also praising the type of control Looney brings to the game.

“He hasn’t always had that,” Kerr said, “He’s had to work for that. But, over the last few years, he’s gotten really good in the short-roll. Catching and either finishing or moving it to the weak side. He never turns it over. He’s always under control. His feet are always under control. And he’s got good hands.”

Looney has developed into an important member of the Warriors rotation. Despite being slightly undersized for his position, the veteran center has been a reliable source of physicality and poise.

The short-roll has become a popular offensive action around the NBA. Looney’s ability to initiate actions out of the short roll has ensured his lack of size doesn’t hinder his ability to be a legitimate pick-and-roll threat. It also allows him to create opportunities for others before relocating to the dunker spot, where he can use his physicality to fight for rebounds and second-chance points.

He might not be one of the team’s stars, but Looney will have a big role to play in any deep playoff the franchise embarks on this season.

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Watch: Highlights of Klay Thompson and Kevon Looney in China

The Golden State Warriors have released highlights of Klay Thompson and Kevon Looney’s trip to China on their YouTube channel.

Klay Thompson and Kevon Looney spent some of their offseason touring China. During their trip, we were treated to multiple droplets of content, showing the two Golden State Warriors stars enjoying their time abroad. We even saw photographs of Thompson playing chess against boxing legend Manny Pacquiao while touring the Philippines on the second part of their trip.

On Sunday, Oct. 22, the Warriors released a YouTube video sharing the best highlights from Thompson and Looney’s trip. The video begins with the pair jetting to China, followed by some of their best moments throughout the trip.

Thompson and Looney both had a solid preseason. So, it’s clear there wasn’t any hangover from their time overseas. Now, the Warriors hope their core rotation is well-rested as they gear up to face the Phoenix Suns on Oct. 24. 

You can watch the full highlights of Thompson and Looney abroad in the embedded video above.

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