NBA Rumors: Kevon Looney Shelving May Negate Andrew Bogut Signing

For the Golden State Warriors, the past days have been centered on the impending addition of Andrew Bogut. And while the plan there was more of adding insurance in the middle, a new development may have just given the Dubs a bigger problem.

Kevon Looney, who spent plenty of time playing the center position when DeMarcus Cousins was still recuperating from an injury, may be out of commission for quite some time. According to NBC Sports, the 23-year-old is suffering from soreness on his right pelvis.

Looney played only seven minutes when Golden State played the Orlando Magic and an MRI confirmed that the 30th pick of the Warriors in the 2015 NBA Draft revealed a strain.

Following that revelation, head coach Steve Kerr has announced that Looney would be out against the Boston Celtics. Looking ahead, he is likely to be out as well when the Warriors face the Denver Nuggets and the Phoenix Suns, Yahoo Sports reported.

Looney is obviously bothered by the injury. His numbers have dipped the last nine games, averaging only 2.2 points and 4.1 rebounds in about 13 minutes of playing time. There is no official timetable on when he may return, although he is listed as on a day-to-day basis.

With Looney out, Kevin Durant and Jordan Bell are likely to get extended minutes. It is likely that Looney could be returning soon although a safe estimate would be the playoffs.

Despite logging not-so-heavy minutes, Looney is one of the Warriors defensive assets. With most of the Dubs focusing on the offensive end, his role as a defensive stopper is undoubtedly a vital cog for the Warriors who are tipped to win it all again.

And while he is out, it could be a good opportunity to see how fit Andrew Bogut is. Coming off an NBL stint, it was originally forecasted that the 34-year-old could be playing on borrowed time. But with the injury to Looney, it seems that the returning cager will be tasked to help out Kerr and the team - particularly in the defensive side.

Looney will join Klay Thompson in the sidelines. The 29-year-old hotshot is also dealing with knee soreness although taking some time out can remedy that. With about 18 games left in the season, the rest could be timely as Golden State braces for the NBA postseason wars.