Kevon Looney: Lakers were 'my top destination'

Kevon Looney, a veteran the Los Angeles Lakers signed this summer, will play a key role for them this coming season. He will likely be their primary backup center behind Walker Kessler, and the team will be counting on him to put in lots of work on the boards, play aggressive defense, set picks and do other types of dirty work.

>After a frustrating 2025-26 season with the New Orleans Pelicans, Looney was a free agent this summer, and there were other teams he could've chosen this summer. But he said during an appearance on the "Mason & Ireland Show" on ESPN LA radio that the Lakers were his top choice.

“Being a free agent this year, I didn’t know what was going to happen. Lots of moving parts to 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 and I’m super excited.”

Looney, who played one season at the University of California, Los Angeles, also said during a recent interview with Mark Medina of Fadeaway World that he couldn't turn down the opportunity to play for the Lakers, especially since he has friends and family in the area.

>His offensive numbers dropped last season, but he still produced on the boards. The 30-year-old has a career average of 5.7 rebounds in 17.1 minutes a game, and he won three NBA championships with the Golden State Warriors, which means he can provide some invaluable experience to a Lakers team that has gotten significantly younger.

>He has also been an effective defender over the years who can guard not only big men but also wings, and that should prove useful to a Los Angeles team that needs to improve on that end of the floor.

>This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Kevon Looney: Lakers were 'my top destination'