Warriors big man Kevon Looney will become an unrestricted free agent on Sunday. And unlike last summer, Golden State will have to give the 23-year-old more than the minimum to re-sign him.
There will be a market for Looney, and the Houston Rockets are expected to be a suitor.
As Sam Amick of The Athletic wrote on Tuesday night:
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As it stands, [the Rockets] have no cap room and are limited to the midlevel exception (annual salary starting at $5.7 million).
A source with knowledge of the Rockets’ plans said Danny Green, Jeremy Lamb, Al-Farouq Aminu, DeAndre Jordan, Brook Lopez and Kevon Looney are also possible targets.
The Dubs have Looney's full bird rights and can give him a max contract if they wanted. That obviously won't be happening, but the point is they aren't limited financially in terms of what they can offer like they were last summer.
In Golden State's memorable Game 6 win in Houston last month, Looney recorded 14 points, five rebounds, one assist, one steal and one block in 20 minutes.
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The No. 30 overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft sustained a non-displaced first costal cartilage fracture on the right side of his chest during Game 2 of the Finals in Toronto. His expected recovery time is six to eight weeks, which means Looney should be at full strength when training camp opens up in late September.
You should expect the Warriors to make it a priority to re-sign him.
“Looney has become one of our foundational pieces," Golden State head coach Steve Kerr told reporters on May 22.
And now, they're going to have to show him the money.