The Lakers landed their backup center to Walker Kessler, coming to an agreement with 30-year-old veteran Kevon Looney on a one-year, $3.9 million contract, ESPN first reported Tuesday afternoon.
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Looney, the three-time NBA champion who spent the first decade of his NBA career with the Golden State Warriors before playing sporadically during the 2025-26 season for the New Orleans Pelicans, is no stranger to Los Angeles. Looney played collegiately for one season at UCLA from 2014-2015. The 6-foot-9 big man earned second-team All-Pac-12 honors for the Bruins before the Warriors selected him in the first round of the 2015 NBA draft.
Last week, the Lakers agreed to a sign-and-trade to acquire Kessler (also coming to terms on a four-year, $130 million deal) from the Utah Jazz and traded Deandre Ayton – who started at center last season – to the Washington Wizards. Jaxson Hayes, who served as the backup center for the Lakers a year ago, agreed to a two-year contract with the Jazz in free agency.
New Orleans declined the team option it held for Looney for the 2026-27 season before free agency began. Looney played 21 games for the Pelicans because of injuries and availability issues, averaging just 2.8 points and 5.6 rebounds per game. The brute big man has hardly been known for his scoring acumen during his NBA career, more so being known for his rebounding prowess. In the 2022-23 season for the Warriors, one of two regular seasons that he had appeared in all 82 games, Looney recorded a career-high 9.3 rebounds and 3.3 offensive rebounds per game.
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Across his 11 seasons in the NBA, Looney has averaged 4.9 points and 5.7 rebounds per game.
Looney was often used in the pick-and-roll game for the Warriors, setting screens for the likes of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green in the Bay Area, and will likely serve a similar role off the bench for the Lakers. Luka Doncic now has two new lob threats to work with during the season ahead in Kessler and Looney.
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More to come on this story.