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56 minutes ago
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The Los Angeles Lakers have had a lot of moving variables this summer, whether it is the ownership group that randomly changed or all of the new players added to the roster. LA is trying to build the best team possible around Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.
The Lakers have made a lot of signings they feel are good for them. They even signed three-time NBA champion Kevon Looney to a one-year, $3.9 million deal.
“they've agreed to a one-year deal with veteran center Kevon Looney, who was Kuminga's teammate while with the Golden State Warriors. The deal is worth $3.9 million, Life Sports Agency CEO Todd Ramasar told ESPN's Shams Charania. Looney projects to slot in at backup center,” ESPN’s Anthony Slater wrote.
What is worrisome now is the fact that Looney is the current backup. If Kessler goes down, Looney isn’t exactly a starting-caliber center in this league anymore. Looney played just 21 games last season and averaged 2.8 points and 5.6 rebounds for the New Orleans Pelicans.
“This signing was a gamble. Loon was a replacement-level player last season. The Lakers clearly believe he will be better, but they need another option. Going into the season with just two true centers is a problem. If Kessler is forced to miss time, the Lakers have serious issues on defense and at the five," Lake Show Life's Tyler Watts wrote.
Recently, Looney made the comment that he would run through a brick wall for franchise guy Luka Doncic. Lake Show Life’s Maxwell Ogden believes that is why the gamble on signing Looney will pay off.
“With Looney making it clear that he's ready to run through a wall for Doncic and ensuring that, "We," is how he expressed it, the Lakers' gamble on his health has already paid off in the form of adding a locker room leader,” Ogden wrote.
It is very clear that Looney is a great leader, and that comes with winning three championships alongside some of the best players to ever do it. The center is going to be a big part of the Lakers this season if no more moves are made.
Looney has made $50 million in his career thus far. Even if Looney doesn’t make a huge impact on the floor, that is the gamble. However, he is already looking like a tremendous voice in the locker room. As of now, it seems the risk was all worth it.
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