The Los Angeles Lakers’ agreement with Kevon Looney did not arrive as the flashiest move of the offseason, but it immediately gave one NBA analyst a reason to raise the ceiling on L.A.’s offense.
Looney agreed to a one-year, $3.9 million deal with the Lakers, Life Sports Agency CEO Todd Ramasar told ESPN’s Shams Charania. The deal gives Los Angeles a veteran backup center behind Walker Kessler after the Lakers traded Deandre Ayton to the Washington Wizards.
CBS Sports’ Sam Quinn argued on X that Looney’s value to the Lakers is tied less to scoring and more to the specific weaknesses that kept L.A. from having an elite offense.
“The Lakers set the single-season 2-point percentage record but still ranked 10th in offense because they were 22nd in 3-point attempt rate and 24th in offensive rebounding,” Quinn wrote. “Kessler and Looney address the rebounding and everyone else shoots. They’re a contender for No. 1 offense.”
That is the real intrigue of the Looney signing. The Lakers are not asking him to become a high-usage player or floor spacer. They are asking him to extend possessions, screen, keep the ball moving and give a Luka Doncic-led offense more chances to punish defenses.
Kevon Looney Gives the Lakers a Different Kind of Offensive Weapon
Looney’s box-score numbers are rarely going to explain his value by themselves.
He averaged 2.8 points and 5.6 rebounds in 14.7 minutes last season with the New Orleans Pelicans, but his offensive rebounding rate remained strong at 16.6%.
For the Lakers, that matters because their offense already has the hard part covered. Doncic can bend defenses. Austin Reaves can attack closeouts and create secondary offense. The Lakers added Kessler in a reported trade with the Utah Jazz, with NBA.com noting that Los Angeles gave up unprotected first-round picks in 2031 and 2033, plus first-round swaps in 2028 and 2030.
Kessler gives the Lakers a lob threat, rim finisher and shot-blocker at the starting center spot. Looney gives them something different off the bench: a sturdy, low-mistake big who can survive physical minutes and steal extra possessions without needing plays called for him.
That is especially valuable on nights when the Lakers’ shooting is cold. Offensive rebounds create high-value second chances, scramble situations and kick-out 3s. For a team built around Doncic’s passing and pressure, one extra possession can quickly become a wide-open corner 3 or a layup.
GettyDENVER, COLORADO – DECEMBER 03: Kevon Looney #5 of the Golden State Warriors plays the Denver Nuggets in the first quarter of the Emirates NBA Cup at Ball Arena on December 3, 2024 in Denver, Colorado. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
The Lakers’ Offensive Ceiling Depends on Balance
Quinn’s point is not that Looney alone transforms the Lakers into the NBA’s best offense. It is that Looney and Kessler help solve a structural issue.
A team can shoot an elite percentage inside the arc and still leave points on the table if it does not generate enough 3-point volume or second chances. That is where the Lakers’ offseason logic comes into focus.
NBA.com’s current advanced leaders page shows how valuable those categories can be. The Lakers ranked third in effective field goal percentage at 53.9% and 10th in offensive rebound percentage at 31.4% in the latest listed team advanced leaders.
That is the path Quinn is describing: keep the finishing efficiency, add more shooting volume around Doncic, and give the frontcourt enough rebounding muscle that missed shots do not always end possessions.
Looney fits that vision because he does not need touches. The Lakers can put him in second-unit lineups with shooters and ask him to set screens, crash the glass and keep the offense connected. He also gives head coach JJ Redick a steadier backup-center option if Kessler gets in foul trouble or if the Lakers need a more veteran, positionally sound big in certain matchups.
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