Oct 29, 2024; San Francisco, California, USA; New Orleans Pelicans center Yves Missi (21) drives past Golden State Warriors forward Kevon Looney (5) in the fourth quarter at the Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

Pelicans GM Reveals Reason For Signing Warriors Champion

Originally posted on New Orleans Pelicans on SI
By Austin Veazey | Last updated Jul 16, 2025 6:34 PM ET

The New Orleans Pelicans recently signed Kevon Looney to a two-year, $16 million contract, joining a frontcourt that features Yves Missi, Derik Queen, Zion Williamson, and more. It was an interesting decision for the Pelicans to hand Looney a contract of that size, especially when it looked like playing time may not be guaranteed for him.

Looney had previously spent all ten years of his NBA career with the Golden State Warriors, winning three championships in the Bay. He was upset with how inconsistent his playing time was, especially in the playoffs when they were getting dominated on the glass by the Houston Rockets.

Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Joe Dumars, the new general manager for the New Orleans Pelicans, sat down with Marc J. Spears for an interview where he talked about the addition of Looney, thinking it's exactly what the team needs.

"I thought that [Kevon] Looney was the perfect guy for a team full of guys who were 25, 26 years old," Dumars said. 'The thing about Looney also was [he’s] 29 years old, but he has a ton of experience. He’s a veteran, high-caliber pro. I thought the perfect guy to be in this locker room every day is a guy like Looney."

Kevon Looney on what pushed him to want out of Golden State:

“It wasn’t just one moment. Even this year in the playoffs—we’re going up against Steven Adams, and that’s the kind of matchup I thrive in. That’s what I do. But I wasn’t given the opportunity to do my job. It felt… pic.twitter.com/o4hsJ3VKQC
— Basketball Forever (@bballforever_) July 15, 2025

Looney is the oldest player on the roster, beating Dejounte Murray out by eight months, but that championship experience will be invaluable to the locker room. This is a very young team, featuring seven players on standard NBA contracts who are 25 years old or younger. Having Looney as a vet in a locker room where most of them haven't even made the playoffs will be ideal.

This article first appeared on New Orleans Pelicans on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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