Kevon Looney's arrival in Los Angeles was met with mixed reactions for good reason. On one hand, the former NBA champion does have a skill set that lends itself well to playing with the likes of Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves. On the other hand, it is 2026.
Looney had several effective seasons as a member of the Golden State Warriors during his best years. The willingness to set screens and do the dirty work for Warriors stars would be perfect for the Lakers if it was just bundled up in a time machine and transported to the 2026-27 season.
The problem is last season's campaign may have shown the noticeable signs of wear and tear that result from playing his physical brand of basketball. The former New Orleans Pelicans center only registered 21 games with the franchise. Dan Woike suggested that could have offered clues about the physical decline of the new Lakers backup.
"He played 314 total regular-season games [before 2025-26]. ... The games and minutes crashing the glass and setting bruising screens for the Warriors had to have some cumulative impact, limiting his mobility and, last season, his availability."
It is fair to wonder one simple thing: Just how far gone are Looney's best days?
Kevon Looney's decline brings fair skepticism about his practical Lakers fit
In his article referenced above, Woike also mentioned the Lakers are still searching for more help in the frontcourt after adding Looney. That much is fair.
Relying on Looney as the primary backup is not ideal. As a third-string center? There would be few issues with housing the aging big man. With the current construct of the roster, the Lakers are demanding more of him than that.
If Rob Pelinka is looking for more center help, it can be viewed as a quiet admission of even the team president being unsure of whether the 2025-26 campaign for Looney was an outlier or a sign of things to come for the 30-year-old. The more skeptical people out there will say it is the latter.
In the games Looney did manage to play last season, there was a clear drop-off on his offense and ability. Last season's version of him is certainly not going up to catch a lob from Doncic with any sort of regularity. His rebounding was still strong, but overall, it was a disappointing stint with the Pelicans.
The Lakers will hope to rejuvenate him a touch. However, if the Pelicans version of Looney is what should be expected moving forward, Los Angeles will need to reinforce that frontcourt and not risk a declining veteran hurting their upcoming season.
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