The Los Angeles Lakers signed Steph Curry’s former Golden State Warriors teammate, Kevon Looney, on a one-year $3.9 million contract on Tuesday. Looney played a key role in three of the Warriors’ title runs. In 2022, Looney played all of Golden State’s 82 games in the regular season and 22 in the playoffs.
His main contribution was on the glass as he cleaned up 7.3 rebounds per game in the regular season and 7.6 in the playoffs. Looney’s ability to win these possessions for the Warriors proved critical, especially since they are a high-volume three-point shooting team. Looney also did a phenomenal job of setting screens.
While his shotmaking and creation aren’t as appealing, other factors helped him become a pivotal player on offense. NBA analyst and CBS reporter Sam Quinn believes these traits could be vital in helping Los Angeles contend for the No. 1 offensive ranking.
“The Lakers set the single-season 2-point percentage record but still ranked 10th in offense because they were 22nd in 3-point attempt rate and 24th in offensive rebounding,” Quinn wrote on X. “Kessler and Looney address the rebounding and everyone else shoots. They’re a contender for No. 1 offense.”
The Lakers added Quentin Grimes, a career 36.1% three-point shooter who attempts 5.1 shots per game from deep, Collin Sexton, a career 38.9% three-point shooter who averages 3.9 shots per game, and Sandro Mamukelashvili, who is coming off a career season shooting from deep. Mamukelashvili converted 38.9% of his three-point shots on 3.7 attempts.
The Lakers also drafted one of the best three-point shooters in the 2026 draft class, Cameron Carr. He shot 37.4% from deep on 6.1 attempts in his final season at Baylor.
Los Angeles already boasts one of the league’s most high-volume three-point shooters in Luka Doncic (35.2% on 9.0 attempts) and Austin Reaves (36.8% on 5.0 attempts). Lakers coach JJ Redick has wanted the team to take more three-point attempts since he took over the coaching job, but Los Angeles struggled to rebound on offense at a high clip.
Redick’s vision never came to fruition, as it often led to transition points for the other team off missed shots.
Kevon Looney’s Signing Seems Like A Gamble For Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers may have taken a gamble with Kevon Looney’s signing. While Looney, at his best, was a key contributor for the Warriors, the last two years haven’t been close to his best seasons. In the 2024-25 season with the Golden State Warriors, Looney averaged 4.5 points and 6.1 rebounds, shooting 51.4% from the field, the lowest in five years.
In 2025-26, Looney was a bench-warmer on the rebuilding New Orleans Pelicans. Looney averaged 2.8 ppg and 5.6 rpg, shooting 41.7% from the field in 21 games. The Pelicans had a surplus of centers, including Derik Queen, Yves Missi, and De’Andre Jordan.
New Orleans also didn’t have Luka Doncic- and Austin Reaves-caliber playmakers. So there’s a world where Looney rediscovers his mojo and becomes an invaluable contributor in a role that’s limited, but still bigger than what he had last year with New Orleans and the year before with Golden State.
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