The Los Angeles Lakers have signed 30-year-old veteran center Kevon Looney, according to ESPN's Shams Charania. It's a one-year, $3.9 million deal, per Charania.
My immediate reaction to this signing for the Lakers is that they have downgraded the backup center position. Retaining Jaxson Hayes -- who is better than Looney -- would have been a better option for the Lakers.
The Lakers just downgraded at backup center by signing Kevon Looney
To say that Hayes is bouncier than Looney would be an understatement of epic proportions. Hayes was a very good lob threat who had chemistry with Luka Doncic. I guess the Lakers didn't want to pay Hayes the two-year, $12 million contract that he signed with the Utah Jazz in unrestricted free agency.
Looney is an experienced and solid enough center, but he's glued to the floor. He's not the type of athletic center you'd want to pair with Doncic. To make matters worse, the backup center position (that Looney now inhabits for the Lakers) is going to be especially important in the Walker Kessler era, given Kessler's tendency to get hurt.
Looney is the kind of player you'd love to have as a third-string center if you're a contender. Backup? Not so much.
Why didn't the Lakers just re-sign Jaxson Hayes?
Now that the Lakers are set to pay Looney $3.9 million next season, it becomes even more head-scratching that Lakers GM Rob Pelinka wasn't down to pay Jaxson Hayes $6 million for the same season. Was Pelinka that turned off by having to pay Hayes another $6 mil in 2027-28? What was the issue here?
Lakers have put all of their eggs into the Walker Kessler basket
Not only did the Lakers overpay for Kessler, but they're putting themselves in a position to be compromised basketball-wise if and when Kessler gets hurt and misses significant time at any point (which is bound to happen).
I repeat: Backup center is a crucial spot when Kessler is your starter.
The good news about Looney is that -- outside of last season -- he's been extremely durable over the last five seasons. The Lakers will count on that durability, but it still doesn't change the fact that he's not a great fit with Doncic. This feels like the best that Pelinka could do at this point in the offseason, but he should've retained Hayes. Why does it feel like Looney will make just as many starts as Kessler in 2026-27?
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