We are less than a week away from the start of the 2026-27 NBA season, and a major concern is emerging for the Los Angeles Lakers . The backup center spot looks problematic, as Kevon Looney has failed to impress in preseason, leaving some fans wondering why the Lakers traded away Deandre Ayton .
For all his flaws, Ayton would still have been a better backup to Walker Kessler than Looney, but The Athletic's Dan Woike explained in a Reddit AMA why the Lakers decided to trade the big man to the Washington Wizards .
"This is going to sound like a knock on Ayton, and I don't mean for that to be the case," Woike wrote. "But managing him and his personality, keeping him focused and content, and trying to get him to mold his game into the role the Lakers needed took a lot of time and energy.
"I think the team would've moved forward with him as the backup after they got the Kessler deal done (not a guarantee at the start of the summer), but a chance to pick up some picks was too good to pass up, even if it downgrading backup C," Woike added.
Ayton, the No. 1 pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, had picked up his $8.1 million player option with the Lakers for 2026-27 ahead of the June 29 deadline. Then, on July 1, the team agreed to a blockbuster sign-and-trade deal with the Utah Jazz for Kessler .
Entering the summer, the Lakers desperately needed an upgrade at the starting center position over Ayton, and Kessler, who signed a four-year, $130 million deal, was just that. They also agreed to a four-year, $52 million deal with Sandro Mamukelashvili the same day to further strengthen their frontcourt.
Now, while Mamukelashvili can play center, he is better suited to the power forward position. So there was still a spot backing up Kessler for Ayton, but Woike says the Lakers got a deal they couldn't pass up. The Wizards gave them Jaden Hardy and two second-round picks in 2031 and 2032 .
The Lakers had given up two first-round picks and two first-round pick swaps to the Jazz for Kessler. They saw an opportunity to get some second-rounders back and took it.
It should be made clear that this wasn't viewed as a bad decision by the Lakers at the time. Ayton had averaged 12.5 points, 8.0 rebounds, 0.8 assists, 0.6 steals, and 1.0 blocks per game for them in 2025-26. The 28-year-old had been his usual inconsistent self.
Ayton had notably impressed in the first round of the playoffs against the Houston Rockets , only to squander that goodwill by laying an egg against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference Semifinals. The Thunder swept the Lakers out of the playoffs, and he put up 7.3 points on 45.2% shooting from the field in the series.
Lakers head coach JJ Redick even benched Ayton in some of those games, and it was crystal clear that a team with championship ambitions couldn't have him as a starter. All of this meant no tears were shed in Los Angeles when he was shipped out of town.
Days after news broke about the Ayton trade, the Lakers signed Looney to a one-year, $3.9 million deal . Concerns had been raised about the 30-year-old's signing at the time, as he hadn't impressed in the 2025-26 season for the New Orleans Pelicans .
Looney had averaged 2.8 points, 5.6 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 0.4 steals, and 0.5 blocks per game for the Pelicans. He struggled with injuries, but also found himself out of the rotation because of how poorly he was playing.
It was the lowly Pelicans opting against picking up their $8 million team option for Looney for 2026-27 that led to the big man hitting free agency. They didn't see value in the veteran, but the Lakers did. Team insider Jovan Buha, however, called the backup center spot the biggest concern afterward, especially if Kessler is out. Buha felt the drop-off was enormous, and that has been the case in preseason.
Looney has averaged just 2.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 0.3 steals, and 0.8 blocks per game. While Lakers fans haven't liked what they have seen, Woike doesn't think it's all doom and gloom.
"There were back-to-back plays in the first game where Looney had rebounds on each end of the court without jumping," Woike wrote. "He just kind of knows how to function within his limitations. I think the amount he's played with Kessler out isn't ideal (he's looked pretty tired at times). If it's two shifts a night, I think the Lakers can handle it.
"If it's 3 weeks because Kessler has a hamstring injury, I think the C issue could be a problem, if that makes sense," Woike added.
If Kessler misses time with injury, the Lakers will be in trouble. They appear to have realized that, as they have held talks with the Milwaukee Bucks regarding a Dalton Knecht-Jericho Sims trade . Sims is no world beater, but he is probably an upgrade on Looney.
