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Looney has spent many years trying to contain Doncic as a defender and it is something he is happy to not have to do this season. The Lakers center made it clear that he is very excited to be able to team with the superstar guard as opposed to trying to defend him. “Playing against him sucks, especially being a big man,” Looney said on Mason & Ireland on ESPN LA Radio. “You’re in a lot of pick-and-rolls, you’re getting iso’d, he picks on people and you gotta guard him 1-on-1 and he’s probably the toughest guy to guard 1-on-1 in the league. Got to compete against him on the Lakers and in the playoffs when he was in Dallas. “I’m excited to be on his team, be able to learn from him, be able to play pick-and-roll with him. He’s probably the best pick-and-roll player in the league so being able to learn how he wants me to set screens and different things like that I’m excited about it. He’s one of the best guys in the league and it makes my life a lot easier playing with him so I’m super excited.”
Kevon Looney: "Being a free agent this year, I didn't know what was going to happen. There were a lot of moving parts this offseason with a lot of teams. Once the Lakers made a few moves and they had a need for a center, this was my top destination and I was able to make it happen. I am super excited."
Kevon Looney: "Having Nick Young as a cousin has been awesome. I got to win a championship with him in Golden State. When I was a kid, he used to send me a bunch of shoes and clothes, so I used to be the freshest kid in high school and middle school because of Nick. Shout out to cuz, he made sure I always was good and being able to share the court with him was always great."
Dave McMenamin: ‘Between now and the start of the regular season, they could carry 16 players, they carry up to 20 through training camp, but through now to the start of the regular season, you got to get rid of a player. Whether that's going to be continuing to try to move someone like Jarred Vanderbilt or Dalton Knecht, that they've not had success with thus far, and they've quite frankly tried for a while here, or could it be someone like Jaden Hardy who was picked up in the Deandre Ayton deal that was really more about trying to get some draft assets from Washington and move off of Ayton to make room for your new centers with Kevon Looney and Walker Kessler than it was about necessarily Hardy. That's one thing that absolutely has to happen. So that means their work's not done.’
The Lakers are still monitoring the market for big men, team sources told The Athletic. They traded for Walker Kessler and signed Kevon Looney to play center, and Sandro Mamukelashvili can play the position, too. The team could address the position either by trade or signing, like with potentially adding Matisse Thybulle. The roster is currently at full capacity.
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How did this deal come to be? Looney: “I knew I was going to be a free agent. I looked at the landscape of free agency and where there was an opportunity where I could play. A few teams called looking for a backup big. LA is a place that I come to all the time. I’m here a lot of the times. I got a lot of friends and family. So to have the opportunity to join the Lakers, I couldn’t turn that down.”
What is the key to be able to get Luka and Austin open looks with your screens? Kevon Looney: “For Austin, I can set the screens on the ball and off the ball for him. On the pick-and-roll, I can get the angles for them. They’re both scoring guards. So I can hold my screens. That should relieve them some pressure so they can get a clean look. That’s something that I specialize at. So I’m super excited to do it for those guys. Luka is a pick-and-roll master. He’s probably the best in the league at it with finding angles and manipulating the defense. I want to pick his mind and learn from him and how he wants his screens set. With talking with those guys, I’m excited about that part, too. Every time I go to a new team or play with a new guard, I ask them how he likes to play. That’s always the fun part.”
Benjamin Royer: Lakers officially share that they’ve signed Kevon Looney. He will wear No. 55. That’s the last of the already agreed-upon deals the Lakers have made that still needed to be announced.
How did this deal come to be? Kevon Looney: “I knew I was going to be a free agent. I looked at the landscape of free agency and where there was an opportunity where I could play. A few teams called looking for a backup big. LA is a place that I come to all the time. I’m here a lot of the times. I got a lot of friends and family. So to have the opportunity to join the Lakers, I couldn’t turn that down.”
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What do you think Luka and Austin can do for your game, and vice versa? Kevon Looney: “They have so much gravity. Luka is one of the best passers in the league. He can create so many opportunities for me as a pick-and-roll player. Being able to play at a high stage and play winning basketball again is amazing. Playing with Luka, it’s going to be super cool to see him do his thing. For me, I can bring some toughness to the team, physicality and offensive rebounding. As a screener, I can get guys like Luka and Austin open. I’m looking forward to that. I know if I can get those guys open, they can also get me a lot of layups and dunks (laughs). I’m super excited about all of that. I’m trying to watch more film and more of the games so I know how to implement myself.”
Going back to hoops and what you said about Luka and the gravity he attracts. You also played with Steph and saw how his gravity works. What notes do you take from that experience, and how can you apply it with how you play with Luka? Kevon Looney: “Guys like Steph and Luka see a lot of different coverages. As a big man in the pick-and-roll, you have to be ready for all of those different reads. Is he getting blitzed? Are they playing into drop? You’re going to see all sorts of different coverages throughout the game. You have to be ready to change your screens and change your angles. So with playing with Steph, I’ve seen a lot. I can bring that to Luka. I know when we played him last year, we always doubled. We did a lot of tricky schemes. Already gaving that experience with playing with Steph, a player of that kind of caliber, just prepares my mind that they’re going to try to get the ball out of his hands. So I’ll be ready to make plays out of the pocket. Or hold my screens to get Luka open. Or set earlier screens in the back. I’ll do all of those things to try to make his job easier.”
Shams Charania: Free agent center Kevon Looney has agreed on a one-year, $3.9 million deal with the Los Angeles Lakers, Life Sports Agency CEO Todd Ramasar tells ESPN.
Looney remains on the Lakers' radar, sources say, as does Nuggets center Jonas Valančiūnas. The latter, remember, was a Lakers free agent target two summers ago before Valančiūnas opted to sign a multiyear deal with Washington instead. Sources say that the Lakers' interest, furthermore, is certainly welcomed by the Nuggets, who have made Valančiūnas available in trade conversations since Denver's season ended and especially in connection with the recent draft as the Nuggets explored various deals while also shopping the No. 26 overall pick.
