The Los Angeles Lakers found their new backup center when they signed Kevon Looney to a one-year, $3.9 million contract for the 2026-27 season.
Looney played for the New Orleans Pelicans last season after beginning his career with the Golden State Warriors, where he teamed up with Stephen Curry and won three NBA championships. Looney believes his experience with Curry will help him complement Luka Doncic’s play style on the Lakers, via Mark Medina of Fadeaway World:
“Guys like Steph and Luka see a lot of different coverages. As a big man in the pick-and-roll, you have to be ready for all of those different reads. Is he getting blitzed? Are they playing into drop? You’re going to see all sorts of different coverages throughout the game. You have to be ready to change your screens and change your angles. So with playing with Steph, I’ve seen a lot. I can bring that to Luka. I know when we played him last year, we always doubled. We did a lot of tricky schemes. Already gaving that experience with playing with Steph, a player of that kind of caliber, just prepares my mind that they’re going to try to get the ball out of his hands. So I’ll be ready to make plays out of the pocket. Or hold my screens to get Luka open. Or set earlier screens in the back. I’ll do all of those things to try to make his job easier.”
Looney is looking forward to getting to know Doncic and making his life easier on the court:
“It’s more of a learning thing. Every guard is different. Everyone has their own little tendencies. So my job as a big is to ask as many questions as possible and see what he wants. Does he want me to roll inside? Does he want me to pop? Does he want me to short roll? Those are things that you learn with experience. I look forward to picking his mind because he’s one of the best in the league at it. Wherever he wants to be at, that’s where I’m going to be at. It’s going to be a good learning experience.”
Looney has a lot of experience as a screener going back to his time with Curry and believes that will only play to his advantage when he is on the court with Doncic and Austin Reaves.
The 30-year-old previously noted that he is excited to share the floor with the All-Star backcourt and fellow center Walker Kessler.
Kevon Looney’s role with Lakers
It remains to be seen what role Looney will have with the Lakers next season as he was mostly a mentor for the Pelicans in 2025. At the very least, his experience and leadership should be welcomed in a locker room that has gone through so many changes this summer.
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