Warriors Rumors: Kevon Looney to Exercise $5.2M Player Contract Option for 2021-22

Golden State Warriors center Kevon Looney is triggering his player option for the 2021-22 NBA season, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

Looney averaged 4.1 points and 5.3 rebounds in 19.0 minutes per game during his 61 appearances this past year.

A first-round pick in the 2015 draft, the 25-year-old has spent his entire NBA career with the Warriors.

Looney will earn $5.2 million next season, according to Spotrac.  

His decision is good news for the Warriors since he has become a solid role player in their frontcourt. His salary is also pretty modest for a backup or possibly a starting center depending on where James Wiseman fits into the rotation in his second year.

According to NBA.com, Looney held opposing players to 56.8 percent shooting inside six feet and 35.3 percent on three-pointers. He was a solid defender inside who didn't get regularly exploited on switches along the perimeter.

Looney's durability was one of the more encouraging aspects of his 2020-21 campaign too. He missed 11 games due in large part to a sprained left ankle, which were his second-fewest over a single season.

The last several years have demonstrated how valuable a strong supporting cast is for a squad built around a few elite stars.

The injuries to Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry and the departure of Kevin Durant obviously didn't help, but one of the more glaring aspects of the current Warriors is how thin their bench is compared to when they were winning three titles in four seasons.

While Looney isn't a critical piece toward Golden State's championship ambitions, replacing him would've been difficult for a franchise that has $139.4 million tied up in Curry, Thompson, Draymond Green and Andrew Wiggins.