SAN FRANCISCO — The Golden State Warriors made a pair of key moves on Day 2 of free agency, agreeing to terms with center Kevon Looney and guard Donte DiVincenzo on Friday, sources told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Looney has agreed to stay with the Warriors on a three-year, $25.5 million deal, sources told Wojnarowski. DiVincenzo’s deal is for two years and $9.3 million and includes a player option in the second year, sources said.
Looney, 26, is coming off a breakout year with the 2022 NBA champion Warriors, who drafted him in the first round in 2015. After an injury-riddled career, Looney was an iron man, playing in all 82 regular-season games and all 22 playoff games.
More important than playing every game, Looney proved to be the kind of center who can thrive in the Warriors’ system, whether he is starting or coming off the bench.
Throughout last season, and especially in the playoffs, Looney proved to be an elite rebounder — a skill set Golden State was desperate for. In the closeout game against the Memphis Grizzlies in the conference semifinals, Looney grabbed a career-high 22 rebounds in a career-high 35 minutes.
Another highlight came in Game 2 of the Western Conference finals against the Dallas Mavericks, when Looney scored 21 points, grabbed 12 boards and held the Mavericks to 1-of-11 shooting from the field as the primary defender.
Retaining Looney, who averaged a career-high 7.3 rebounds during the regular season, was a top priority for the Warriors heading into free agency, but the recent departures of Gary Payton II, Otto Porter Jr. and Juan Toscano-Anderson made it that much more important.
Bringing back Looney not only ensures that the Warriors maintain a strong presence on the boards and in the paint, but it also allows Golden State to continue to bring along James Wiseman more slowly as he works his way back from a right knee injury.
DiVincenzo has flashed potential as a starting-caliber 3-and-D wing but has battled injuries through the first four seasons of his career.
A first-round pick in the 2018 NBA draft, DiVincenzo missed the majority of Milwaukee’s championship run in the 2021 postseason after injuring his ankle in the first round. Offseason surgery sidelined him for the start of last season, and he struggled in his return, eventually getting dealt to the Sacramento Kings at the trade deadline.
DiVincenzo started to round into form in Sacramento, hitting nearly 37% of his 3-pointers while adding 4.4 rebounds and 3.6 assists in 25 games to closeout.
Courtesy: ESPN
