While Steph Curry, Draymond Green and the departed Klay Thompson are the true faces of the Golden State Warriors dynasty, Kevon Looney has been a key role player for much of the run. A first-round pick in the 2015 NBA draft, just weeks after the franchise's first NBA championship of this run, Looney has been with the Warriors ever since, and served as the team's starting center during its most recent title run in 2021–22.
Looney will hit free agency this offseason after completing a three-year, $22.5 million deal signed after that '22 championship season.
Looney's role has been reduced in recent years, and he averaged 10 minutes per game during the team's 2025 playoff run. Still, he hopes to be back for an 11th year with the Dubs, he said per ESPN's Ohm Youngmisuk.
Kevon Looney, who will be a free agent, wants to return: "I hope the feeling is mutual... they expressed (they want him to return) but it's the NBA. There's a lot of time until free agency starts. Let's see what happens."
— Ohm Youngmisuk (@NotoriousOHM) May 15, 2025
Looney played in 76 games during the regular season, averaging 4.5 points and 6.1 rebounds in 15 minutes per night during the regular season. His minutes were cut by a third in the postseason, and he only managed 2.2 points and 3.6 rebounds per night.
Even so, he's been a core member of Golden State's miraculous run since the mid-2010s, and probably has more value to the Warriors locker room than most other teams.
As Curry, Green and mid-year acquisition Jimmy Butler prepare to keep the team's championship window open in '25–26, Looney hopes to be a part of another potential title run.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Longtime Member of Warriors Dynasty Hopes to Return in 2025–26.
