Skip to content Kevon Looney needed only four games to convince the Los Angeles Lakers that their summer gamble at backup center had failed. Despite an impressive 11-2 start to the season, team officials have already accepted that the veteran big man cannot handle his assigned role behind Walker Kessler. That reality leaves the front office in an uncomfortable spot with almost no chips left to play.
Los Angeles overhauled the roster during the off-season to construct a contender, but finding reliable frontcourt depth remains an urgent problem. Kessler has delivered fine performances as the starter, yet any injury to the young center would instantly wreck the team’s interior defense. Because the market for reliable big men is fierce across the league, fixing this flaw will not be easy.
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The issue matters immediately because the margin for error in the Western Conference is razor-thin. While the team keeps stacking wins, head coach JJ Redick has been forced to make improvisations that cannot last over an 82-game grind.
Why JJ Redick benched Kevon Looney so fast
Redick gave the veteran center a legitimate look when the campaign began. Looney took the floor in each of the first four games, but the coaching staff saw defensive liabilities that they could not ignore. He lacks the foot speed to guard on the perimeter and no longer provides enough resistance around the rim.
Offensively, the fit has been just as awkward. He cannot function as the athletic rim-runner that superstar guard Luka Doncic needs in pick-and-roll sets. After those opening four contests, Redick removed him from the rotation almost entirely.
The drop-off in playing time has been startling. Over the last nine games, Looney has appeared in just two contests, logging less than five minutes combined. His season numbers have cratered to 1.3 points, 1.7 rebounds, and 0.2 assists per game.
An empty cupboard makes replacing Kevon Looney difficult
Finding an upgrade at backup center sounds straightforward until you look at what Los Angeles has left to trade. The front office pushed most of its future assets into the deal that landed Kessler from the Utah Jazz. That trade cost the team two first-round draft picks and two first-round pick swaps.
As reported by The Athletic’s Dan Woike, the coaching staff and front office have reached a bleak verdict on the position:
“This team really can’t afford to lose Kessler for any extended amount of time. The Lakers have already decided that Kevon Looney isn’t a workable backup center, and they have limited trade assets to address that (at a time when supply for backup centers is low and demand around the league outside of the Lakers is high).”
General manager Rob Pelinka can currently offer only a 2032 first-round pick swap and three second-round picks. In a league where multiple contenders want rim protection, that package will struggle to beat rival bids. Fortunately, the financial damage is small, as Looney is on an expiring one-year deal worth $3.9 million.
Small-ball cover for Walker Kessler can only stretch so far
Without a reliable traditional center on the bench, Redick has turned to patchwork lineups whenever Kessler rests. Forward Jarred Vanderbilt and newcomer Sandro Mamukelashvili have both taken shifts at the five. While both players offer high energy and switchability, neither possesses the size or strength to anchor the paint against true centers.
The small-ball units have held up during this hot streak, but relying on them as primary rim defenders is unsustainable. Can you picture Vanderbilt battling Nikola Jokic or Anthony Davis for 35 minutes in a playoff series? The coaching staff knows those emergency alignments are temporary fixes rather than long-term answers.
Kessler has stayed healthy and productive so far. Still, relying on a single twenty-something center to play heavy minutes without real cover is a dangerous way to run an NBA season.
How the Kevon Looney decline started in New Orleans
The warning signs around Looney were visible well before he arrived in California. The New Orleans Pelicans signed him to a two-year, $16 million contract in 2025, expecting a dependable anchor. Instead, he struggled with injuries and lost his spot in the lineup after just 21 games.
During that disappointing stint in New Orleans, he averaged 2.8 points and 5.6 rebounds while showing clear signs of physical wear. The Pelicans chose to decline his $8 million team option for 2026-27 rather than keep him around. Los Angeles signed him anyway, hoping a change of scenery and a reduced role might restore his utility.
Looney does offer championship poise to a locker room where nobody else has won a ring. He earned three championship rings with the Golden State Warriors, and his professional voice still commands respect among teammates. But leadership from the bench cannot replace production between the lines.
The Lakers look to extend their 11-2 run when they visit the 5-6 Phoenix Suns at Mortgage Matchup Center on Sunday at 4 p.m. ET. Kessler will anchor the middle, while Looney will watch from the bench.
Source: Yahoo Sports
