The Golden State Warriors' offseason is officially underway after falling to the Minnesota Timberwolves in five games in Round 2 of the 2025 NBA postseason. The writing was on the wall as soon as Stephen Curry suffered his series-ending injury in Game 1, and it didn't take long for the Warriors' postseason to unravel after that.
Now that their playoff run is over, the Warriors are likely already thinking about their offseason plan of attack. It won't be much longer before free agency begins and Golden State will be forced to decide the fate of a handful of pending unrestricted free agents.
While some veterans on expiring deals will be allowed to hit the open market, the Warriors must do whatever it takes to re-sign a key big man.
Warriors Must Re-Sign C Kevon Looney at All Costs This Offseason
Of the Warriors' upcoming free agents, veteran center Kevon Looney deserves to be re-signed the most above the rest.
Looney, 29, is a 10-year NBA veteran who's spent his entire career with Golden State. The former UCLA Bruin was drafted 30th overall by the Warriors in 2015, operating mostly as a backup center while also stepping up into a starting role when needed. He was a part of three championship-winning teams throughout his tenure, securing a spot in fans' hearts for life.
It's hard to imagine the Warriors' frontcourt without his presence, especially after the last handful of years. Looney averaged 5.6 points and 7.1 rebounds with a 58.1% field-goal percentage in 314 games (192 starts) across the last four seasons.
Looney's recently declining performance has left Warriors fans to wonder if he'll be re-signed when he becomes a free agent in the summer, though. He's no longer as accurate as he once was, only shooting 51.4% from the floor while playing a lowly 15 minutes per night. Having said that, an offseason re-signing is something Golden State must consider anyway.
Even if his accuracy and playing time fell, Looney still averaged a solid 4.5 points and 6.1 rebounds while mostly coming off the bench. Interestingly enough, he finished the regular season ranked fourth-best among his Warriors teammates regarding both offensive (128) and defensive (108) ratings per 100 possessions.
Looney's last contract carried an average annual cap hit of $7.5 million, meaning he'll likely make a similar amount or less on his next deal. That's a fair price for what the veteran center brings to the table, especially since he's still one of the better bench big men in the league. On top of that, he's still one of the most popular players in the locker room even if his play is regressing.
At the end of the day, something to the tune of $14 million to $15.5 million spread across two years with a team option could make the most sense.
With less than two months to go before free agency begins, Warriors fans likely won't have to wait long to have a better sense of Looney's outlook — for better or for worse.