The New York Knicks were extremely active this offseason, as they made two splash trades in acquiring Mikal Bridges from the Brooklyn Nets and Karl-Anthony Towns from the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The Knicks had reportedly expressed interest in Kevon Looney
However, the Knicks had also expressed interest in Golden State Warriors backup center Kevon Looney, per HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto. New York was always in the market for a center in the offseason after Isaiah Hartenstein departed for the Oklahoma City Thunder and Mitchell Robinson underwent ankle surgery.
“Kevon Looney drew exploratory trade interest from the Knicks, Thunder, and Grizzlies early this offseason before the organizations pivoted in other directions, HoopsHype has learned,” Scotto wrote.
Looney would’ve been a rather cheap option for New York to fill in a backup role. Looney is a 10-year NBA veteran and has played all of those seasons with the Warriors, winning three NBA championships in 2017, 2018, and 2022.
Across those 10 seasons, he is averaging career numbers of 5.0 points and 5.7 rebounds with a 58.1% career field goal percentage. This season, he has been impactful off the bench for a Warriors team that has gotten off to a hot start, as he is averaging 5.5 points and 7.8 rebounds per game.
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The Knicks missed out on an opportunity to bring in Looney
The Knicks still need some depth in the frontcourt off their bench as Robinson still hasn’t returned from ankle surgery and Precious Achiuwa has yet to play a game this season with a hamstring issue. Looney would’ve been a solid depth piece who is more durable than Robinson, but it seems as though they have missed out on the opportunity to bring him in.
The Knicks are expected to remain in the market for centers as the season progresses, but they will likely have to pivot in a different direction unless Looney becomes available again.
