Can Kevon Looney turn back the clock and be the backup big the Lakers need?

Welcome to our Lakers Season Preview Series! For the next several weeks, we’ll be writing columns every weekday breaking down the biggest questions we have about every player the Lakers added this offseason. Today, we look at Kevon Looney.

Regardless if you agree or disagree with the Lakers’ offseason moves, all of their additions at least make sense when viewed through the lens of a new roster ideology. Well, at least, most of them.

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As each signing became official, it became clear the team prioritized getting more versatile, athletic and younger this summer.

Excluding their rookies and two-way players, the Lakers added seven new players to the roster. Six of the seven have a collective age of 26.3, which better aligns with their 27-year-old superstar, Luka Dončić.

The sole outlier in the group in both age and physical makeup is Kevon Looney.

While 30 is far from old in human years, Looney immediately is the elder statesman on the team. He has already played in 11 seasons and has more mileage on his odometer than his peers given how many postseason minutes he’s logged with the Golden State Warriors throughout his career.

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In a vacuum, Looney would be a harmless add on most benches around the league. But on a team that has invested heavily in Walker Kessler remaining healthy and productive, combined with the departure of Jaxson Hayes, the Lakers actually need Looney to contribute rather than just be a veteran presence.

Whether or not he can could be one of the more underrated storylines of the upcoming season.

What is his best-case scenario?

How much optimism you have in the Looney signing paying off likely depends on how much of last season you think could be written off.

In his first season away from the Bay, Looney appeared in just 21 games with the New Orleans Pelicans due to a combination of injuries and the team shifting toward a younger rotation.

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And when he was on the floor, Looney also looked noticeably limited. Was this due to the veteran lacking motivation on an aimless team? Or further evidence that he is on a steep decline?

If the answer for his drop-off proves to be…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/kevon-looney-turn-back-clock-163000758.html

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Publish date : 2026-09-11 16:30:00

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