The Los Angeles Lakers entered the 2026 offseason with no bigger flaw than their frontcourt.
After forcing fans to watch a Deandre Ayton and Jaxson Hayes frontcourt tandem for 82 games plus the playoffs, the offseason got off to a start on the right note with LA completing a sign-and-trade to land Walker Kessler. This gave fans a ton of hope.
This was the type of starting frontcourt piece this team needed next to Luka Doncic. The next question was, who would back up Kessler? Many initially assumed Ayton would stay put and play that role, but Rob Pelinka had other plans, sending him to Washington. So he turned to free agency.
And oh boy, turning to free agency was the worst call possible, as with limited options, the Lakers front office landed on signing veteran big man Kevon Looney to a one-year, $3.9 million deal.
Following up on the home run of Kessler with Looney is a major misstep by the front office. It suggests they may have some of the league's poorest pro scouts. Looney was unplayable for the New Orleans Pelicans. He’s a threat on the glass and brings a winning pedigree, but his body is quitting on him, and he can’t be tasked with playing more than 10 minutes on a nightly basis.
Lakers still haven’t solved their frontcourt problems with Kevon Looney
Last season for the Pelicans, Looney averaged 2.8 points and 5.6 rebounds per game, while shooting 41.7 percent from the field in just under 15 minutes per game. Not bad numbers, and as a backup five, the Lakers would take that as Luka can get crafty in the pick-and-roll, creating clean looks for Looney. The problem is that he played just 21 games last season.
Despite Looney being just 30 years old, the years of setting screens, protecting the rim, banging in the post, fighting on the glass, and doing all the dirty work for Stephen Curry and company have clearly gotten to him.
Having Looney as a third-string big is one thing. At this point in his career, he could thrive playing every couple of games and coming in when a team needs a boost on the glass.
If you’re a team like the Lakers, who had so many issues at the five last season, and look to address those needs by bringing in Looney to be your backup, it's an utter disappointment. The Lakers would’ve been better off keeping Ayton and signing Looney to be his backup than having Looney come in and have to play the second-string center minutes.
We saw with the Dallas Mavericks in 2024 the type of ceiling Luka-led teams can have when he is given two strong big men who can feed him in the pick-and-roll, and he can count on to have his back defensively. Pelinka won half of the battle by giving his superstar guard one big like that in Walker Kessler, but failed to come through with a second one by signing Looney.
Maybe there’s room to be hopeful that LA isn’t done addressing the frontcourt. Right now, that’s difficult to envision.
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