The Los Angeles Lakers continued their busy offseason on Tuesday, agreeing to a one-year, $3.9 million deal with veteran big man Kevon Looney.
While the three-time NBA champion was brought in to bolster LA’s center depth behind prized acquisition Walker Kessler on a team-friendly contract, Lakers insider Jovan Buha was not a fan of the move.
Lakers Insider Pushes Back on Kevon Looney Signing
Reacting live to the news of Looney heading to LA to provide what ESPN’s Shams Charania described as “experience and pick-and-roll play” alongside star guards Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves, Buha was visibly unenthused.
Looney joins Kessler and stretch four/five Sandro Mamukelashvili in the Lakers’ new-look frontcourt, and is expected to soak up some of the minutes from recently departed big men Deandre Ayton and Jaxson Hayes.
While Looney played a pivotal role as a rebounder and screen-setter with a high basketball IQ during three title runs with the Golden State Warriors, Buha considers the 30-year-old too far over the hill to be a difference-maker come playoff time.
“I’m pretty underwhelmed,” Buha began. “I think he’s fine in a regular-season context. I don’t think he’s a playoff player, and I shudder to think what he would look like in a series against the [Oklahoma City] Thunder or the [San Antonio] Spurs, or if you somehow get past those two teams, the [New York] Knicks in the [NBA] Finals.
“I don’t think he’s a playoff player anymore. Obviously, he had his heyday with the Warriors, but he’s also really limited offensively. … He’s not a lob threat; he’s even a guy that I think can struggle to catch and finish in traffic. He basically needs to be wide-open putback, wide-open dunk. So, it’s fine, but it’s a clear downgrade from DA or Jaxson going to Kevon Looney, like that’s a pretty sizable downgrade.”
.@jovanbuha and I were live when the Looney news dropped. I like that he can help get this offense create more possessions. I am nervous that he’s washed, though and the stats Jovan gave about his finishing are really bad. Stick around for the joke at the end. pic.twitter.com/TZJuYIQyKk
— Anthony F. Irwin (@AnthonyIrwinLA) July 7, 2026
Buha named Moussa Cissé, Nick Richards, and Jonas Valančiūnas as backup center options he would have preferred over Looney, arguing that they are “at least a tier, if not a couple tiers” above the 11-year veteran.
Looney is coming off an underwhelming season with the New Orleans Pelicans, averaging 2.8 points, 5.6 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 0.5 blocks per game, while shooting 41.7% overall across 21 appearances.
However, barring an injury to Kessler, who is expected to anchor the paint with his elite rebounding and rim protection, the Lakers likely won’t be counting on Looney to log heavy minutes. He could also receive a slight bump playing with Dončić, as opposed to a rebuilding Pelicans squad, making the deal a low-risk proposition for the franchise.
