The Golden State Warriors made the biggest trade of the young NBA season so far. On December 15, the Warriors acquired veteran guard Dennis Schroder from the Brooklyn Nets. Shortly after the Warriors made this trade, many wondered what could be next for the Warriors. Though nothing is official, NBA insider Jake Fischer shed some light on which Warriors player is garnering interest around the league. According to Fischer, other NBA teams have expressed interest in acquiring big man Kevon Looney in a trade with the Warriors (subscription required).
After swiftly addressing its need for a secondary scorer behind Stephen Curry with Sunday’s acquisition of Dennis Schröder, Golden State is still evaluating its own center rotation, sources say. The Warriors have famously filled minutes with defensive savant Draymond Green at the five spot. And while Steve Kerr is known to hold great affinity for Kevon Looney, Golden State’s veteran center has garnered plenty of early interest from around the league, sources say, as the Warriors consider whether or not to add another piece to a rotation that also features standout sophomore Trayce Jackson-Davis. Before ceding the role back to Looney recently, Jackson-Davis started 18 games this season.
Teams Are Interested in Poaching Champion from Warriors
Kevon Looney Has Been in Trade Rumors Before
It is unknown how likely the Warriors are to trade Looney. What is known, however, is that the Warriors have flirted with the idea of moving on from Looney in the past. In June, Tim Kawakami of The San Francisco Standard suggested that Golden State was likely to move on from Looney last offseason. This, of course, never came to fruition.
HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto also recently reported that multiple teams had interest in Looney in the offseason. Scotto mentioned the New York Knicks, Memphis Grizzlies, and Oklahoma City Thunder as three teams who explored a trade for him.
Additionally, Looney revealed that, while he would like to retire with the Warriors, he knows “that’s not realistic.”
“The ball isn’t in my court,” Looney said. “I don’t have full control over my destiny, so I kind of have to play the waiting game, control what I can control. I’ve been here my whole career. I don’t know nothing else. You always want to finish what you started and be somewhere for your whole career, but I’ve been in this business long enough to know that’s not realistic. I’m preparing myself for whatever. My family’s out here, the Bay’s been great to me. They treat me like family, I grew up here. “I haven’t really thought about it too far. I’m trying to see what they’re going to do first before I push the envelope and see what I want to do.”
The Last Word
Multiple reports have indicated that the Warriors have interest in a trade. The most likely target for them is Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler. However, the trade deadline is still a couple of months away. A lot can change from now until then.
The Warriors began the season 12-3. Since then, they have lost eight of their last 10 games. Now with a 14-11 record, the Warriors own the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference. As they look to maximize their remaining championship window with Stephen Curry and Draymond Green, they are a team to monitor during the trade season. In the meantime, the Warriors will aim to turn things around on their own.
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