Kevon Looney fears an exit from the Golden State Warriors: "You always try to be where you are, but things change"
After 10 years on the team and three NBA rings, the center sees a possible departure getting closer, although he has made it clear that if it were up to him, he would stay.
After a long slump at the beginning of the season, the Golden State Warriors have turned the situation around. Currently, they have a record of 38-28 and hold the sixth spot in the Western Conference. While it seemed like they were in serious danger of missing the playoffs, they now appear to be potential title contenders. Much of the change is attributed to the arrival of Jimmy Butler last month.
Since acquiring Butler from the Miami Heat, the Warriors have a record of 13-1 in games he has been active. The immediate future looks bright for Golden State, but they still have some decisions to make in the offseason. One of them involves the veteran big man, Kevon Looney.
Looney, who has been with the team since 2015, is an impending free agent. He is a three-time champion and knows the ins and outs of the franchise. However, his time in Golden State may be coming to an end. In a recent interview with Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, Looney made it clear that he wants to stay in Golden State. Yet, he also acknowledged that free agency is always chaotic.
"I don't know. Right now, I'm focused on this season. You never know what's going to happen in a short period of time. I hope to stay healthy, have a strong end to the season and playoffs, and then see what happens. You always try to be where you are, but things change. Free agency is always crazy, so whatever happens... happens."
This season, Looney has played in 60 games but has only started in six of them. In those games, he is averaging 4.9 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 1.7 assists in 15.7 minutes.
The Importance of Kevon Looney to the Warriors
While Looney never became an All-Star, he has played a crucial role on several championship teams. Additionally, he is also unique in that he has spent over 10 years with the same franchise. The Milwaukee native recognizes that this is not very common in the league, but it means a lot to him.
"It means a lot. Not many can play for so long with the same team. For me, being here for 10 years and having the opportunity to keep competing and winning with our goal of reaching the championship, being part of a team like this is always fun. I know what it takes and how to maintain our culture and make everything continue to work as it should. I'm happy to be here. Whatever happens, will happen."
Currently, Looney is one of only eight players who have been on the same team for the past 10 years. With less than a month left in the season, Looney and the Warriors want to continue their push. Barring a collapse, they are in an excellent position to make the playoffs this year. After falling in the Play-In last season, they aim to recover significantly and make their first appearance in the NBA Finals since 2022.
This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Kevon Looney teme a una salida de Golden State Warriors: "Siempre intentas estar donde estás, pero las cosas cambian"
