The Los Angeles Lakers have signed the three-time NBA champion, Kevon Looney, to a one-year, $3.9 million deal, which adds another solid lob threat inside the paint to their roster after acquiring Walker Kessler earlier this season.
Looney last played for the New Orleans Pelicans, but found it hard to find his place in their rotation behind Yves Missi and Derik Queen after hurting his knee at a preseason game. He ended last season averaging 5.6 rebounds, 2.8 points, and 1.6 assists while shooting 41.7% from the field.
But these numbers don’t truly reflect his capabilities as he only played in 21 games over the 2025-26 season. Let’s take a look at the changed roster depth chart of the Lakers following his addition to the roster to see where he fits into their plans.
Point Guards: Luka Doncic, Collin Sexton, Bronny James
Shooting Guards: Austin Reaves, Cameron Carr, Jaden Hardy
Small Forwards: Quentin Grimes, Dalton Knecht
Power Forwards: Jake LaRavia, Sandro Mamukelashvili, Jarred Vanderbilt, Adou Thiero
Centers: Walker Kessler, Kevon Looney, Drew Timme
According to ClutchPoints’ NBA insider, Brett Siegel, Looney chose the Lakers over other interested teams in the 2026 free agency because he felt he would have the immediate opportunity to contribute off the bench behind Walker Kessler and provide some veteran experience to this young team led by Luka Doncic.
The Lakers have moved on from most of the veterans on their roster from the 2025-26 season, so Looney will certainly bring a lot of experience to the table for this young team.
With Drew Timme being on a two-way contract (limited games allowed), Kevon Looney becomes the primary backup center for Walker Kessler for the season and will likely get better minutes than he did with the Pelicans.
What Does This Mean For The Lakers?
The Lakers’ starting lineup will likely include Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, Quentin Grimes, Jake LaRavia and Walker Kessler. And Looney will be coming off the bench with the others in the rotation unless the Lakers decide to eventually go with a two-big lineup.
In 2025-26, the Lakers were among the bottom five in the NBA in terms of total team rebounding numbers. So it has been a persistent problem for them. Kevon Looney is known for his aggressive approach, especially on offensive rebounds, which the front office hopes will address that problem.
The 6’9 big has a 7’4 wingspan, which also makes him an elite lob threat. Hence, the Lakers are hoping Looney is the veteran piece they need for this young roster to flourish even when Walker Kessler and Luka Doncic might be sitting out, and Collin Sexton is running the offense from the bench.
Reports suggested that the Lakers were hoping to create a ‘Dallas 2.0’ for Doncic. It will be fascinating to see if Kevon Looney can play a similar role to that of Daniel Gafford when the Mavericks made a run to the Finals in 2024.
