The Los Angeles Lakers, to their credit, have addressed their starting center need. In addition to a major move for Walker Kessler, they also added veteran depth in Kevon Looney. Everything the franchise has wanted in rim protection and lob threat may just have been secured.
Kessler will be the starting piece with Looney playing the backup. However, the three-time NBA champion may not be the best backup option.
According to Lake Show Life’s Tyler Watts, Looney’s declining career seems to have been overlooked by the Lakers, and the franchise will be better off finding a more consistent countermeasure to back up Kessler.
“The Los Angeles Lakers signed Kevon Looney to a one-year, veteran minimum contract this summer, and all signs point to him being in the rotation, despite last season’s disaster,” Watts wrote. “The 6’9” big man appeared in just 21 games and was often a DNP-CD on the rebuilding New Orleans Pelicans. Loon won three championships with the Warriors, but the Lakers don’t seem to notice that the sun is setting on his NBA career.”
Looney’s stint in New Orleans last season was his first away from the Golden State Warriors in his career.
Lakers Advised to Steer Clear of New Veteran Addition
Looney will be entering his 12th NBA season and will hope to help the new-look Lakers roster. He always had the rebounding ability and can set screens. As a bonus, he brings experience and leadership to the locker room.
Looney basically cost the Lakers nothing but their veteran exception money. Perhaps he was the only feasible option for the backup center role given their tight cap situation following other major trades. At his peak, he was part of the Warriors dynasty, winning his first two rings as a backup piece and his last title as a starter in 2022.
However, since then, Looney didn’t establish his prime and, while he remained a consistent presence in Golden State, he lost the starting spot and was eventually moved to New Orleans. His stint for the Pelicans wasn’t a breath of fresh air.
“Loon was virtually unplayable for the Pelicans last season, and those were not the first signs of decline,” Watts added. “The Lakers are banking on the veteran to be in the rotation, and that will quickly backfire unless there is significant improvement from last year.”
Looney averaged 2.8 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game in the 2025-26 season. He did play only 21 games and just under 15 minutes per game, but there are still question marks on whether he can be a mainstay in the rotation for a potential contender.
There Were Worrying Signs With Looney
Looney has never been a high-minute player. Even in the seasons he managed to play 82 games, they were under a 24-minute average per game. The Lakers may have banked on that not expecting him to be on the floor too often, just enough time to cover for Kessler.
However, it could be a big gamble given that Kessler is just returning from a long injury. The 25-year-old hasn’t come across as an injury-prone player but as a big, his minutes and games will have to be well managed to effectively utilize him as a starter.
In that case, falling back to Looney after a not-so-stellar showing last season for New Orleans could bite the Lakers.
“During the only stretch where he played in more than three consecutive games, New Orleans was outscored by 65 points over his 98 minutes and went 2-5,” Watts wrote. “For the season, the Pelicans had a negative-8.1 net rating with Loon on the floor and were 4.8 points per 100 possessions better when he went to the bench.”
In New Orleans, eyebrows won’t be raised a lot but that cannot be said of playing in L.A. If the Lakers can’t get value from their backup center, they will have to improvise to challenge for the championship.
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