Kevon Looney agreed to a one-year, $3.9 million minimum deal with the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday, ending a brief and injury-shortened stint in New Orleans and bringing the 30-year-old center to a team that just completed a significant offseason overhaul in the wake of LeBron James's departure.
Looney spent 10 seasons with the Golden State Warriors from 2015 to 2025, winning three championships and becoming one of the more beloved role players in the franchise's dynasty era, a reliable screen setter, rebounder and locker room presence who knew exactly what he was and did it as well as anyone.
He signed a two-year, $16 million deal with the Pelicans last offseason, but a left knee injury sustained in the preseason limited him to just 21 games.
New Orleans declined his $8 million option for 2026-27 and moved on.
The Lakers are a natural landing spot. They just acquired Walker Kessler from Utah as their starting center of the future and traded Deandre Ayton to Washington.
They needed a veteran backup who understands how to play without the ball, protect the rim and operate within a system without demanding shots.
That is Looney's entire profile. At $3.9 million on the minimum salary exception he costs next to nothing while the Lakers finish processing their bigger moves.
He spent a decade learning to do exactly what Anthony Davis needs his backup center to do. The Lakers recognized it.