Kevon Looney is headed for unrestricted free agency at 6 p.m. ET on June 30, and the New York Knicks and Boston Celtics are already circling. The veteran center, 30, is expected to be available after the New Orleans Pelicans decline his $8 million team option in a two-year deal.
That makes Looney a rare experienced big man on the market just as teams begin sorting through their center plans. Marc Stein and Jake Fischer reported that the Knicks are among the teams with interest, while the Celtics are looking to make him their first splash in free agency.
The interest is not coming from nowhere. Looney spent a decade with the Golden State Warriors and won three titles there, including one run in which he started at center. He also brings recent production that still reads well on paper: 21 regular-season games last season, 2.8 points, 5.6 rebounds and 14.7 minutes per game.
What makes the chase more striking is how little Looney played in New Orleans. He missed the playoffs entirely, yet contenders are still treating him as a useful piece. For the Knicks, the fit is tied to Mitchell Robinson’s expected departure in free agency, and their interest in veteran centers is said to depend on how that market unfolds. The team also does not have a depth center signed for next season, which sharpens the need.
That leaves Looney in a familiar place for a player with playoff mileage: valued for what he has done before, not just what he did last season. Mike Brown’s prior connection to him from Golden State adds another layer, but the next meaningful checkpoint is simple. Free agency opens at 6 p.m. ET on June 30, and then the market will show whether those teams move from interest to an offer.
