The celebrations for the Golden State Warriors are slowly dying down and right now, they are facing the harsh reality of what could be a summer that sees them lose some of the key players from their recent championship conquest. At this point, opposing teams are keeping tabs on the Dubs and the current situation of a number of their players that are set to hit free agency in the offseason.
According to a report by Ric Bucher of FOX Sports, big man Kevon Looney has emerged as an in-demand player ahead of free agency:
League executives are also keeping an eye on whether the Warriors are proactive in setting up sign-and-trade deals if it appears they are on the verge of losing one of their pending free agents, most notably center Kevon Looney.
Looney's current deal with the Warriors runs out this summer and unless Golden State is able to negotiate an extension, the 26-year-old could walk away as a free agent. The Dubs could opt for a sign-and-trade as sort of a last resort in order to get some value out of Looney instead of just letting him go for nothing.
The same can be said for Gary Payton II and Otto Porter, who are both also going to be free agents. While the Dubs would likely prefer to keep all three players, the reality is that they're already looking at a projected luxury tax bill of roughly $75 million. Looney, Payton, and Porter all played their respective roles in Golden State's title run this season, but unfortunately, the Warriors might not be able to afford them.
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