Agent: Looney completely recovered from surgery, working out at Chase Center
Warriors center Kevon Looney is “100%” recovered from surgery to repair a core muscle injury in May, his agent told the Bay Area News Group.
The surgery corrected an injury that caused the left abdominal soreness that sidelined Looney for 18 games this season. Looney, 24, is on track to be ready for the start of next season.
With a league-worst 15-50 record, the Warriors are not among the 22 teams invited to the NBA season’s restart near Orlando this week. Although scrimmages aren’t allowed right now, over the last few weeks, several Warriors players have returned to Chase Center for individual, socially distanced workouts, including Looney.
“I think he’s 100%,” his agent Todd Ramasar said in a phone call Monday. “It’s one of those things where, because of this long runway that we have of an offseason for at least the Warriors and Kevon, there’s no need to push it.”
Ramasar said Looney is going through basketball drills, but, “Is he going all out? I wouldn’t say so. He’s probably (going) 80%. It is not because he can’t go all out, there’s just no need to right now.”
After signing a three-year, $15 million contract last summer, Looney was expected to take over as the Warriors’ starting center, but injuries derailed his season.
Looney played in just 20 games this season as he dealt with a neuropathic condition, left hip soreness and the left abdominal soreness for which he underwent surgery in Philadelphia. In 13.1 minutes per game, he averaged 3.4 points on 36.7% shooting, 3.3 rebounds and 1 assist.
Having gone to the NBA Finals each season since entering the league in 2015, this will be the longest offseason of Looney’s career. If the 2020-21 season starts in December, as the league has targeted, it would mean 10 months in between games for Looney, who last played on Feb. 29.
“It’s actually giving him a lot of time to just rest,” Ramasar said. “The body still needs rest, even as young as he is, in light of some of the procedures he’s had in the last 12 months.”
This is an encouraging sign for the Warriors and head coach Steve Kerr, who often refers to Looney as a building block due to his ability to switch defensively, grab rebounds and make hustle plays. In Looney’s absence, Marquese Chriss emerged as Golden State’s starting center.
The Warriors’ center spot will look different next season. Chriss will have a chance to keep the starting job, though Looney could push him if healthy. Draymond Green will play center in smaller lineups, and the Warriors are expected to add another center this offseason, either through the draft, trade or free agency.
However, that player is expected to be more of a traditional 7-footer who can compete with bigger bodies in the Western Conference such as Anthony Davis, Nikola Jokic, Steven Adams, Jusuf Nurkic and Jonas Valanciunas. Looney, as long as he’s healthy, will play a key role regardless of his spot in the rotation.
“He’s one of those guys who loves the game,” Ramasar said. “He’ll do anything to be out on the floor.”