The Los Angeles Lakers signed another non-center on Monday, only adding to their current Kevon Looney problem that the Golden State Warriors escaped even before his departure from the franchise last offseason.
The addition of Matisse Thybulle on a minimum contract has taken the Lakers roster to 16 guaranteed contracts, forcing them to make an additional move before next season to reduce it back to 15.
Lakers have created a major Kevon Looney problem
The issue for their current roster is of the 16 players, only Looney and Walker Kessler are genuine centers, with Sandro Mamukelashvili also capable of playing some small-ball five minutes. Given Looney's lack of impact over the past two seasons, having him as one of only two centers on the roster is a problem the Lakers will need to fix.
Looney only appeared in 29 games for the New Orleans Pelicans following his arrival last year, and averaged only 13 minutes for the Warriors following the All-Star break in 2025. Part of the reason for his diminishing role with Golden State was the fact they had both Trayce Jackson-Davis and Quinten Post on the roster, giving Steve Kerr a trio of center options at his disposal.
JJ Redick won't have the same opportunity next season unless Rob Pelinka and the front office pull off another move. The other problem now is that after signing Ziaire Williams and Thybulle in the past week, the Lakers are reliant on another team agreeing to a trade that either brings back another center, or at least creates the roster space to target one in free agency.
That's easier said than done, particularly after the Lakers used up all but one of their remaining first-round picks on the blockbuster Kessler sign-and-trade that was executed at the start of the month.
Kevon Looney is no longer suited to such an on-court responsibility
Even Lakers fans are anxious about Looney's current role on the Lakers as their backup center, particularly when you combine that with Kessler's recent injury history where he played just five games before season-ending surgery with the Jazz last year.
Looney could provide immense leadership and experience as a three-time champion and astonishighly as the only 30-year-old currently on the roster, but asking him to be the backup center and average 15+ minutes on a nightly basis seems an on-court responsibility he's no longer suited for.
The Lakers are likely to target another center according to The Athletic's Dan Woike, but failing to make a consolidation trade could leave them with Looney in a role that will require a significant bounce-back from what we've seen the past two seasons.
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