The Lakers are already testing the depth chart before the season even starts, and Kevon Looney may be one of the players most affected by it.
Los Angeles has opened trade talks with Milwaukee for Jericho Sims, a move that would add another true big to a frontcourt picture that already looks crowded in spots and thin in others. For a team trying to sort out its rotation early, that kind of deal could quietly squeeze Looney’s minutes before he gets much of a chance to settle in.
According to NBA insider Jake Fischer on Thursday night, the Lakers and Bucks have discussed a framework that would send Dalton Knecht and second-round draft capital to Milwaukee in return for Sims. Fischer wrote, "League sources say that the Lakers and Bucks have held exploratory trade discussions on a framework that would ship former first-round selection Dalton Knecht to Milwaukee (along with second-round draft capital) in exchange for big man Jericho Sims,"
That matters for Looney because any addition at center changes the math. Between Walker Kessler, Sims, the small-ball minutes of Sandro Mamukelashvili and possibly Jarred Vanderbilt, there’s a real path for Looney to slide down the pecking order. He signed a one-year, minimum contract with the Lakers in free agency, but that deal does not guarantee a stable role.
The concern is especially notable because the Warriors already made their own call on Looney’s value as a rotation center when they let the three-time champion walk in free agency last year. Now the Lakers appear to be weighing a similar question before the games even count.
Looney has logged 2.0 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists in four preseason games, playing a little more than 15 minutes per night. That run has come without Kessler, who returned in the previous game against Golden State.
Fischer also reported that there is some skepticism around whether a deal for Sims actually gets done. If Milwaukee turns down the framework, Looney would keep a clearer route to minutes unless JJ Redick decides to lean harder on Mamukelashvili as a small-ball option at the five.
Sims doesn’t bring Looney’s championship background, but he does arrive with a stronger recent case for playing time. He appeared in 67 games for Milwaukee last season, averaging 5.0 points and 5.5 rebounds while shooting 78.4% from the floor.
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