Kevon Looney is back with the Warriors for a fourth season.
He was an unrestricted free agent this past summer. And on Tuesday, Steve Kerr told reporters "it was a little nerve-wracking thinking we might lose him."
But as Looney told Mark Medina of the Bay Area News Group: "Nobody really offered.”
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Really? It seems quite surprising that not a single team believed Looney was worth a minimum deal.
In fact, the question being asked from March through June was, "Has Looney become too expensive for the Warriors to keep?"
When Golden State declined Looney's fourth-year option in late October, it meant the most the team could offer him in July was $2,227,081 (the value of the option).
Even in a summer without a ton of available money in free agency, it seemed quite possible that somebody would offer the 22-year old a deal in the $3 million range or perhaps a two-year deal that would give him some longer-term security.
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But apparently Looney didn't have to weigh any of those options because they never materialized. Without any leverage, he re-signed with Golden State for the minimum ($1,567,007).
Last season, Kerr repeatedly praised Looney and called him extremely valuable. Wouldn't it make sense to try to pluck the big man away and force the Warriors to replace him?
Looney will be an unrestricted free agent again next summer, and we will probably be asking these same questions.
"It all worked out in the end for us," Kerr said. "I'd really like to see him make some money and do really well for himself. He deserves it. And hopefully that's here."
Drew Shiller is the co-host of Warriors Outsiders. Follow him on Twitter @DrewShiller
