The Los Angeles Lakers are going to be one of the most intriguing teams to keep an eye on this offseason.
After a crazy season that saw the Lakers acquire the face of their future in Luka Doncic, the upcoming offseason will be pivotal for the coming years. It was clear after the trade that Los Angeles was lacking in a couple of key areas.
During the team's playoff series against the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Lakers clearly needed more defense. They also badly needed a defensive and rebounding center.
Those areas would have been helped a lot if the trade deadline deal for Mark Williams hadn't fallen through. Heading into the offseason, Rob Pelinka will need to address both of those areas in order to compete for a championship next season.
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With that in mind, a new potential big man option has been suggested for Los Angeles.
According to Anthony Irwin of ClutchPoints, the Lakers could be a team to watch to swoop in and try to steal Golden State Warriors' three-time champion Kevon Looney.
"The Lakers could also target Kevon Looney using their taxpayer mid-level exception," Irwin wrote. "If he was going to accept that contract, he'd likely get it from the Golden State Warriors, sources say."
Basically, he expects Los Angeles to have interest, but the Warriors would likely be willing to give him the kind of money that the Lakers would give in this scenario.
Los Angeles could consider getting more aggressive they see Looney being the piece needed. He could be a nice addition both for defense and rebounding, but he's not an elite rim protector. Looney would be a high-quality bench pickup.
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During the 2024-25 NBA season, Looney played in 76 games for Golden State and started in just six of them. He averaged 4.5 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game while shooting 51.4 percent from the floor.
At 29 years old, Looney would bring a lot of playoff and championship experience to the Lakers. That is where the team wants to get, which is why Looney could be a very valuable addition for Los Angeles.
It may not be the most likely option, but he's a name to keep an eye on for the Lakers. Pelinka has his work cut out for him and it will be interesting to see what he chooses to do.
For more on the Los Angeles Lakers and general NBA news, head on over to Newsweek Sports.
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This story was originally published June 11, 2025 at 2:23 PM.