Kevon Looney

Looney claimed a starting role for much of the 2021-22 postseason, averaging 8.8 points, 10.9 rebounds and 3.3 assists over 26.4 minutes per game in his nine straight games in the unit. He shifted back to the bench in favor of Otto Porter for the final three games against Boston in the Finals but still averaged north of 22 minutes in those contests. Porter has since moved on to the Raptors and Gary Payton II signed with the Trail Blazers, while Golden State picked up Jamychal Green and Donte DiVincenzo during the offseason. Looney's late-season showing earned him a three-year, $25.5 million deal with the Warriors, suggesting the team has sizable plans for him moving forward. Looney's biggest contribution comes on the glass, where he compiled 7.3 rebounds per game overall during the regular season and a major jump during the playoff stretch. While Looney doesn't contribute from beyond the arc, that does result in an efficient percentage from the field. Looney has connected on 54 percent or better of his shot attempts in the last two seasons. He's unlikely to be a major scoring threat but can contribute some in both blocks and steals, making the 26-year-old forward a viable option in some fantasy formats. However, fantasy managers need to be wary that James Wiseman will be in the fold after missing all of last season. The second overall pick from 2020 has the potential to cut into Looney's workload.

Looney is a two-time NBA Champion. That's the good news. The bad news is his per-game career highs for scoring is 6.3 PPG (2018-19) and rebounds is 5.3 RPG (last season). Unless the Warriors make a big trade, Looney is entrenched behind second-year player James Wiseman. With Wiseman around last season, Looney still started 34 of 61 games and averaged 19.0 minutes per game. That still led to only 3.2 field goal attempts per game. Wiseman, last year's second overall pick, is still only 20 years old with tremendous upside. It would be foolish of the Warriors to continue jamming Looney in for defensive support when they should be developing Wiseman. Expect Looney to regress to a reserve role, with minimal counting stats.

Looney re-upped with Golden State on a three-year deal after spending his first four seasons with the Warriors. He's been a perennial backup, averaging fewer than 10 minutes per contest in each of his first two seasons in the league and playing a career-high 18.5 minutes in 2018-19. He produced career highs across the board with 6.3 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.5 assists on 62.5 percent shooting in 80 appearances. The last time Looney was on the court, he showed a lot of heart, playing through a fractured collarbone in the Finals. Despite cementing his status as a Bay Area fan favorite, he's unlikely to be fantasy-relevant outside of deeper leagues. Golden State has typically employed a committee at the five rather than giving big minutes to one center, and the additions of Willie Cauley-Stein and Omari Spellman to the frontcourt don't bode well for Looney's playing time.

Looney, drafted 30th overall out of UCLA in 2014, saw the most run of his NBA career last season. He appeared in 66 games for the NBA Champions, seeing 13.8 minutes per game, including four starts. In that run, he averaged 4.0 points and 3.3 rebounds while shooting 58.0 percent from the field. Though he was mostly a depth option, Looney was able to flash upside, posting five games with at least 10 points, one 10-rebound game, seven performances with at least three blocks and three tilts with at least three steals. Significant minutes won't be easy to come by again this season, as the Warriors added DeMarcus Cousins in the offseason, plus still have Draymond Green and Jordan Bell as options in the frontcourt.

Looney enters his third NBA season as still somewhat of an unknown commidity, with hip injuries having effectively made his rookie campaign a redshirt one and the loaded Warriors roster having left him with limited opportunities to pick up playing time in 2016-17. After the 6-foot-9 Looney added muscle last summer and stood out with his rebounding in the preseason, the Warriors were optimistic that he would stake his claim to a regular rotation role, but inconsistent performances early on along with the team's ample frontcourt depth mostly made him an afterthought by the time the second half of the season arrived. Looney, a first-round pick in 2015, still has some upside due to his youth (he'll turn 22 in February) and pedigree, but he's at a point in his development timeline where he'll need to provide the Warriors with tangible evidence that he's deserving of a place in their long-term plans. With the team re-signing Kevin Durant and David West, bringing in Omri Casspi via free agency and drafting athletic big man Jordan Bell in the second round, Looney looks like he could remain on the outs for a rotation spot entering training camp.

Looney was Golden State's first addition to its championship roster when he was selected 30th overall in the 2015 draft. The 19-year-old played one season at UCLA, where he served mainly as a power forward. He started strong for the Bruins before cooling off as the season progressed. That makes you wonder if his conditioning needs improvement. Most of his scoring came via the hustle play – off the offensive glass, pick-and-rolls, cuts, and transition finishes. There's some potential for him to be a floor spacer as he made 42 percent of his three-pointers (22-for-53), but that's a small sample. The range becomes suspect when looking at his 63-percent free-throw shooting. He's rangy with a 7-foot-3 wing span, can challenge shots at the perimeter, and has a feel for rebounding, but his frame isn't sturdy enough to defend the low post. That's okay for now as he's young enough to develop. He played well in the summer league, but a hip condition that plagued him in college and red-flagged Looney in draft circles flared up, necessitating surgery. He'll miss the first half of the season at the very least.