Walker Kessler arrived in Los Angeles last summer as a marquee acquisition on a four-year, $130 million contract, requested directly by star guard Luka Doncic.
General manager Rob Pelinka also signed veteran Kevon Looney to serve as Kessler’s primary backup in the frontcourt.
Barely a month into the NBA season, however, the front office has determined that Looney is not a viable reserve option.
“Los Angeles has decided that Kevon Looney is not a viable backup center, and they have limited trade assets to fix that problem,” Dan Woike reported in The Athletic.
Looney has fallen almost entirely out of coach JJ Redick’s rotation during the early weeks of the regular season.
The veteran center has appeared in six games, averaging 1.3 points and 1.7 rebounds in 5.7 minutes per contest, marking the lowest statistical output of his career.
Those figures contrast sharply with Kessler’s production as the team’s starting anchor alongside Doncic.
Kessler currently averages 14.5 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 2.2 blocks per game.
The assessment from Woike follows similar observations made by team analyst Jovan Buha regarding the team’s depth.
“I think it’s evident that they need a more effective backup center,” Buha said.
“It’s not about Kevon Looney. They’ve taken him out of the rotation. It doesn’t look like he’s going to play at all, barring an injury,” Buha added.
Buha characterized the situation as a roster deficiency that the franchise will likely need to address via the trade market.
League observers have connected several frontcourt names to the franchise ahead of the trade deadline on February 11.
Potential targets mentioned in reports include Kel’el Ware, Jericho Sims, and former Lakers center Jaxson Hayes.
The franchise opted against renewing Hayes’ contract during the offseason, leading directly to the decision to sign Looney instead.
Additional names circulating around the organization include Goga Bitadze, Karlo Matkovic, and Jalen Smith.
Worth a look
