Update: Warriors lose Lee, GPII, Porter; Looney signs 3-year deal
SAN FRANCISCO -- The Golden State Warriors on Friday brought back one of their key free agents, retaining Kevon Looney — who appeared in all 104 of the team's games this past season — on a three-year deal that could be worth about $26 million if the final year becomes fully guaranteed.
The 26-year-old Looney played all 82 games this season. He averaged 6.0 points, 7.3 rebounds and 2.0 assists while becoming one of just five players to go all 82 games — and 104 straight counting the postseason run.
He started all five Western Conference finals games against Dallas then the first three of the Warriors' six-game finals victory against the Celtics.
However, three other rotation pieces went elsewhere, with Damion Lee reportedly signing a one-year deal with the Phoenix Suns, Gary Payton II headed to the Portland Trail Blazers and Otto Porter Jr. signing with the Toronto Raptors.
Lee's deal with the Suns was first reported by ESPN Friday night.
Another one gone. SG Damion Lee, Steph Curry’s brother-in-law agrees to a one year deal with Phoenix. Spent the last 3 seasons with Golden State. @warriors @Suns @Dami0nLee @KPIXtv pic.twitter.com/oanwoXJGQh
— vernkpix (@vernKPIX) July 2, 2022
According to CBSSports.com, the Trail Blazers offered Payton II a three-year, $28 million deal, as reported by The Athletic's Shams Charania.
Payton's payday is well earned after he was one of the breakout players of the 2021-22 season. After spending the bulk of his career on 10-day contracts and in the G-League, he finally managed to carve out a steady role for himself with the Warriors as a defensive stopper and unconventional pick-and-roll threat. He helped lead Golden State to a championship, and now, he'll take his talents to the Pacific Northwest.
The fit, on paper, is quite good. Payton is obviously familiar with that region of the country as his father, Gary Payton, was once a star for the Seattle Supersonics. Both Paytons played collegiately at Oregon State and now the younger Payton will return to Oregon to join a Blazers team trying to build a contender around Damian Lillard.
Otto Porter Jr. signed with the Golden State Warriors last summer hoping to get his career back on track. It was a minimum contract, and it was the best decision he could have possibly made. He played in 63 regular-season games, traded almost all of his long 2s for 3s and won a championship, starting the last three games of the NBA Finals. Porter gave the Warriors some defensive versatility and some shooting in the frontcourt. He was a perfect fit in their movement-oriented offense. It worked out so well that he's not coming back.
CBSSports.com reported the 29-year-old forward agreed to a two-year contract with the Toronto Raptors on Friday, according to Yahoo Sports' Chris Haynes. He'll reportedly have a player option on the second season. The salary has yet to be reported, but, according to Sportsnet's Michael Grange, Toronto will use some of its $10.5 million non-taxpayer midlevel exception.
CBSSports.com also reports the Warriors are signing Donte DiVincenzo to a two-year, $9.3 million deal using the taxpayer mid-level exception, according to Shams Charania.
DiVincenzo has been a high-level starter for the Milwaukee Bucks in the past, and at just 25 years old, he could easily return to being that caliber of player for the Warriors moving forward. But his last season with the Sacramento Kings was by far the worst of his career. He returned from an ankle injury he suffered during the 2021 playoffs and managed to shoot just 35.1 percent from the field. His defense wasn't nearly the same either.
The departure of Lee, GPII and Porter follows the signing of Juan Toscano-Anderson by the Los Angeles Lakers, after the team did not extend a qualifying offer. Additionally Nemanja Bjelica is reportedly leaving the Warriors to play basketball in Turkey.