The Golden State Warriors saw one of its longest tenured players leave this offseason, as veteran center Kevon Looney departed for the New Orleans Pelicans in free agency.
Looney played 10 seasons and 599 regular season games for the Warriors, but he felt that during the end of his time with the team that he no longer had the trust of the organization. His example for that feeling stemmed from his lack of usage in the playoffs in a series against the Rockets, and physical center Steven Adams in particular.
During the team's first-round matchup against Houston, Looney was used sparingly, never seeing the floor for more than 14 minutes across the seven-game series. He had a series low of 2:00 on the court in Game 6 of the series, a 115–107 loss.
Speaking on the "Warriors Plus Minus" podcast, Looney explained how that impacted his mindset when it came to free agency.
"We're going up against Steven Adams, this is what I do. They're not really giving me the chance to really let me do what I do. It's like, alright, you guys don't trust me," Looney said.
Looney ended up signing a two-year, $16 million deal with the Pelicans, where he'll reunite with former teammate Jordan Poole and have the chance to carve out a more meaningful role in the frontcourt.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Kevon Looney Explains Key Reason He Decided to Leave Warriors.
