Looney, who left the Warriors last offseason to sign with the New Orleans Pelicans<\/span><\/span><\/strong>, has seen his stint in the Big Easy unravel quickly. While Golden State continues to battle inconsistency, the Pelicans are trending toward a reset \u2014 and league insiders now believe Looney could become a legitimate buyout candidate.<\/p>\n If that happens, Golden State is expected to be among the first teams at the front of the line.<\/p>\n The Pelicans signed Looney last summer hoping the veteran center could stabilize their rotation, mentor their young core, and provide his trademark rebounding and toughness. But the experiment never fully materialized.<\/p>\n Looney has played only three games in the 2026 season<\/strong>, having fallen completely out of the rotation in favor of younger players as New Orleans\u2019 playoff hopes collapsed early. According to Sports Illustrated, Looney checks several boxes for Golden State \u2014 but the fit is complicated.<\/p>\n \u201cOn one hand, Looney probably isn\u2019t thrilled with the idea of returning to the Warriors after losing playing time to Quinten Post last year. On the other hand, Looney is barely playing at all with the Pelicans, and he\u2019d likely get real minutes in the Bay if\/when Al Horford or Kristaps Porzingis are out.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Looney\u2019s departure from Golden State stemmed partly from frustration after losing his backup role to rookie Quinten Post<\/strong>, a move that surprised many within the organization. Yet, despite that friction, the Warriors have always viewed Looney as one of the franchise\u2019s cultural anchors \u2014 a player beloved by the locker room, fan base, and coaching staff.<\/p>\n With the Warriors thin in the frontcourt and postseason hopes fading, a reunion suddenly feels plausible.<\/p>\n For nearly a decade, Looney was the Warriors\u2019 safety valve \u2014 a stabilizer during dynastic runs, an elite offensive rebounder, and a trusted playoff performer. Even as his athleticism faded, his IQ and system familiarity proved invaluable.<\/p>\n Golden State currently needs exactly that profile:<\/p>\n Kristaps Porzingis<\/strong> has not debuted due to injury.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Al Horford<\/strong> is 39 and must have his workload managed.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Draymond Green<\/strong> is transitioning into a more limited role.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Trayce Jackson-Davis<\/strong> and Brandin Podziemski<\/strong> remain promising but inexperienced.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n Looney knows Steve Kerr\u2019s system better than any big man not named Draymond Green. If the Warriors are serious about stabilizing their rotation ahead of the stretch run, Looney offers reliability at a low cost.<\/p>\n Despite Looney\u2019s lack of playing time, the Pelicans still control his future<\/strong>. He remains under contract, and New Orleans holds a team option<\/strong> for next season.<\/p>\n This creates three scenarios:<\/p>\n This is the Warriors\u2019 ideal outcome. Looney becomes a free agent, and Golden State can sign him immediately.<\/p>\n The franchise has a young roster, and Looney\u2019s professionalism carries value. They could choose to let him ride out the year.<\/p>\n His contract could serve as salary filler in a multi-player deal \u2014 a route many rebuilding teams consider.<\/p>\n The Warriors can only wait.<\/p>\n As Golden State\u2019s talent pool thins, multiple veterans could become available across the league. Among the realistic names:<\/p>\n Nicolas Batum<\/span><\/span><\/strong> \u2014 elite connector, versatile defender, reliable passer<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Kyle Anderson<\/span><\/span><\/strong> \u2014 stabilizer, secondary ball-handler, defensive versatility<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Kevin Love<\/span><\/span><\/strong> \u2014 shooting, rebounding, veteran IQ<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n None of these players shifts Golden State into true title contention, but each represents incremental improvement.<\/p>\n And in a season where Stephen Curry<\/span><\/span><\/strong> has missed significant time \u2014 and where Jimmy Butler<\/strong>, a centerpiece of their midseason trade, is out for the year \u2014 the Warriors can\u2019t afford to stand still.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s be blunt: Even with Porzingis returning and Curry recovering, the ceiling has been lowered dramatically. The team looks competitive on good nights, but nowhere near its championship prime.<\/p>\n Still, adding Looney or another experienced big could be meaningful in two critical ways:<\/p>\n Stabilizing rotations<\/strong> so young players aren\u2019t overwhelmed.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Preserving the internal culture<\/strong> during a difficult transition year.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n In many ways, the Warriors\u2019 front office understands that fans simply want the team to try<\/em> \u2014 to show effort, to compete, and to avoid wasting what remains of Curry\u2019s late prime.<\/p>\n Adding Kevon Looney would do exactly that.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Warriors Considering Kevon Looney Reunion as Buyout Market Heats Up The Golden State Warriors are navigating one of the most turbulent seasons of the Stephen Curry era…. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":151632,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-151628","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nba"],"yoast_head":"\n
\nWhy Kevon Looney Is Suddenly a Realistic Buyout Addition<\/h2>\n
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<\/div>\n
Why a Looney Return Makes Sense for the Warriors<\/h2>\n
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\nThe Pelicans Must Make the First Move<\/h2>\n
1. Pelicans buy him out<\/strong><\/h3>\n
2. Pelicans keep him for depth or leadership<\/strong><\/h3>\n
3. Pelicans trade him in the offseason<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\nWhat Other Buyout Options Do the Warriors Have?<\/h2>\n
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\nWill This Move Actually Change the Warriors\u2019 Fate?<\/h2>\n
No buyout signing will transform the Warriors back into contenders.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n