"There was a real fear that we’d lose him" - Steve Kerr on Golden State Warriors' center situation ahead of new season

Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr has said that there was a possibility of losing center Kevon Looney this offseason before he signed a new contract with the team.

Looney is coming off an impressive year, not missing a game in the regular season and offseason. Kerr has named Looney as a starter next season. In an interview with Anthony Slater of The Athletic, Kerr said that Looney deserves his new deal and has earned his spot in the starting lineup.

The center's career has been plagued by injuries, so it was great to see him fully healthy last campaign.

"Loon will come back as the starter," Kerr said. "He has earned that and then some. We're all thrilled that he's back. There was a real fear that we'd lose him; to get him back is massive for our team. It sets up well for Loon to continue what he did for us last year."

One possible reason why Kerr had to clarify Looney's role for next season was James Wiseman. The former No. 2 pick showed up at the NBA 2K23 Summer League. With limited playing time, Wiseman played great and looked ready to take the next step. He missed the entirety of last season because of a knee injury.

Kerr also explained that next season will be more of a natural progression with Wiseman. The four-time champion coach added that Wiseman will get his chances as the backup for Looney.

"I think this will be a more natural progression for James, one that didn't really happen his rookie year because of the situation," Kerr said. "We felt like we needed to get him as much experience as possible, and Looney was coming off a season where he missed all that time with the nerve issues."

Kerr continued:

"So, this seems much more natural, much more organic. Loon is the incumbent, the championship starting center who has seen everything. Then you have James, who will learn from him and with him and will get his chances as we go. It's a healthy growth situation for James."

Can James Wiseman contribute to Golden State Warriors next season?

James Wiseman of the Golden State Warriors

James Wiseman worked with assistant coach Dejan Milojevic during his recovery from a knee injury. Milojevic is famously known as the mentor of two-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic. Wiseman is hoping to break into the Golden State Warriors' rotation next season.

The Warriors lost several key players in free agency, including Gary Payton II, Nemanja Bjelica, Otto Porter Jr. and Damion Lee. Wiseman is expected to be Golden State's backup center till he can supplant Kevon Looney.

Kerr believes there's no better mentor for the Golden State Warriors player than Looney, per NBC Sports.

"James spent a good part of this year watching Loon," Kerr said. "Watching tape of him, asking questions of him. They're very different players, as you said, but playing the same position. Loon's first two years he never played. He was injured, too, just like James has been. There couldn't be a better mentor for James than Loon."