Jordan Poole undoubtedly will get paid this offseason. He wants one of his teammates to join him on his trek to the bank.
After the Warriors' 126-117 victory over the Dallas Mavericks in Game 2 of the Western Conference finals Friday night, Poole sent a message to the Golden State front office about Kevon Looney, who went off for a career-high 21 points and added a team-high 12 rebounds.
“They need to pay him a lot,” Poole said on his postgame interview with 95.7 The Game. “They need make sure that he stays.”
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Looney, who has spent all seven of his NBA seasons with the Warriors after being selected 30th overall in the 2015 NBA Draft, is set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer. He's making quite the last impression on the franchise's brass during the Warriors' current championship pursuit.
Looney's 21 points Friday weren't just a playoff career high. It was his first game -- regular season or postseason -- with at least 20 points since Jan. 8, 2015, back when he was a freshman at UCLA. That performance was the playoff sequel to Looney grabbing 22 rebounds to close out the Western Conference semifinals against the Memphis Grizzlies in Game 6, the most boards for any Golden State player in the postseason since Larry Smith in 1987.
To celebrate Looney's stardom Friday, the sellout crowd at Chase Center began chanting "MVP! MVP!" when the center walked to the free-throw line late in the third quarter.
“That’s so elite,” Poole said of the chants. "He was tremendous. We would not be in the situation we are without him."
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Golden State Warriors
“It’s just fun having a good night like that,” Looney said after the game. “Leading a comeback like that is something you dream about as a kid. I got MVP chants so that was pretty cool. I’m going to cherish that one, I might not get another one so I’m going to have to cherish that one.”
When decisions eventually are made this offseason, Poole wants the Warriors to cherish what Looney brings to the table.
He hopes he'll have company securing the bag this summer.