End of a Warriors era: Kevon Looney agrees to deal with Pelicans

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Kevon Looney, who won three NBA championships with the Warriors, is reportedly leaving Golden State after a decade. 

According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, Looney agreed to a two-year, $16 million contract with the New Orleans Pelicans, where he’ll reunite with former teammate Jordan Poole. Looney, 29, played 10 seasons with the Warriors, who drafted him with the 30th overall pick in 2015. 

A beloved presence in the Warriors’ locker room, Looney put together an excellent career with the Warriors after battling serious hip injuries early in his tenure. Steve Kerr often called him the “moral compass” of the team due to his steadiness and wisdom.

Looney was dependable off the court and durable on it. In 2024, his franchise record for consecutive games played ended at 290.

Looney made a major impact during Golden State’s 2022 title run, including a 22-rebound performance to close out the Grizzlies and several huge performances on the glass the next round against Dallas. 

The veteran’s role waned last season as the Warriors played Draymond Green more at center in small-ball lineups and sought more frontcourt shooting by using rookie Quinten Post. Without Looney, the Warriors have Post and Trayce Jackson-Davis — two former second-round picks — as center options. 

Looney signing with the Pelicans adds another strange wrinkle to New Orleans’ bizarre offseason so far. The Pelicans replaced executive David Griffin with Joe Dumars, who last ran a team’s basketball operations more than a decade ago. Dumars hired Troy Weaver, who flamed out in Detroit, as his general manager. 

New Orleans’ new brain trust traded veteran guard CJ McCollum for Poole, who has two years remaining on a $128 million contract that is widely viewed as underwater in league circles. Then the Pelicans traded their unprotected 2026 first-round pick to move up 10 spots in the draft to select Maryland big Derik Queen, taking a massive risk in a competitive Western Conference. 

The Pelicans’ frontcourt now includes Queen, Looney, Zion Williamson, and promising young center Yves Missi. How Dumars and Weaver view Trey Murphy III and Herb Jones — perhaps their two most valuable players — remains to be seen. 

The Rockets have emerged as a clear-cut threat to the defending champion Thunder atop the Western Conference. 

Houston traded Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, and the No. 10 pick, Khaman Maluach, to Phoenix in exchange for Kevin Durant. Then the Rockets followed that blockbuster by reportedly signing floor-spacing big Dorian Finney-Smith and rim-runner Clint Capela. 

The Rockets, who took the Warriors to seven games in the first round, were already one of the deepest teams in the league. They somehow improved their top-end talent while also arguably becoming even deeper. 

Houston has extended Jabari Smith Jr., restructured Fred VanVleet’s deal, and retained veterans Aaron Holiday and Jeff Green. A projected starting lineup of VanVleet, Amen Thompson, Durant, Smith, and Alperen Sengun should be as dangerous as any starting unit. 

Ty Jerome, who flourished as a third guard in Cleveland last season, reportedly agreed to a three-year, $28 million contract with the Memphis Grizzlies. His role should be similar in Memphis to what it was in Cleveland, though Jerome’s shooting stroke gives Memphis the flexibility to play him in big minutes next to Ja Morant as well. 

Jerome spent the 2022-23 season with the Warriors before missing almost the entire next season with an ankle injury. When he returned to the court last year, he averaged 12.5 points and 3.4 assists per game as one of the most productive bench players in the league. He finished third in Sixth Man of the Year voting. 

This story will be updated.