The Lakers have been very busy this offseason. They finally brought in an ‘A-list’ center franchise cornerstone, Walker Kessler, that Luka Doncic reportedly requested. They also sent out former starting center DeAndre Ayton to the Washington Wizards and brought in veteran center Kevon Looney, while still continuing their chase for Jonathan Kuminga. That move has led to speculation.

Speaking on the Locked on Lakers podcast, Brian and Andy Kamenetzky hinted at why the purple and gold might have signed Looney.

“Kevon Looney, I think, you know, the idea that the Lakers jumped quickly at Looney. I am speculating. It’s not something that’s reflected necessarily in the reporting, but I think it is not a coincidence. It seems like purposeful to me,” Brian said.

“Upon hearing about the Lakers signing Looney, one of the first things that immediately popped into my head was whether he had been a mentor to Kaminga. Yes, he was. Foreshadowing, who knows? Just saying,” Andy added.

The Lakers signed Looney to a one-year, $3.9 million veteran minimum contract. He is expected to serve as the backup center behind newly acquired Kessler. He spent 10 seasons with the Warriors and won three championships.

Speaking with NBC Sports Bay Area in 2024, Looney explained that helping younger players had become one of his favorite responsibilities, saying that he takes pride in helping the young guys. He discussed working with Jonathan Kuminga and fellow young big man Trayce Jackson-Davis, asserting that he enjoyed sharing the lessons he had learned over nearly a decade in Golden State.

Now, the Lakers have used up much of their financial room to accommodate commitments from Kessler, Sandro Mamukelashvili, Quentin Grimes and Collin Sexton, leaving just one free roster spot following the Looney deal. But that hasn’t slowed down their pursuit of Kuminga.

Multiple reports say that General Manager Rob Pelinka remains in active talks with Kuminga’s agent, Aaron Turner, while improving their offer in recent days. Buha’s Block’s Jovan Buha believes negotiating a sign-and-trade with the Atlanta Hawks remains the simplest solution possible. What halts progress is the question, as Buha said, “It’s just going to be, how much is Atlanta willing to play ball?”

Discussing other avenues, Buha added:

“They could also do a salary dump and trade some of their players, Jarred Vanderbilt, Dalton Knecht, guys like that, to get off some money. Technically, they could extend the Walker Kessler trade that has not been made official yet. They could loop in Atlanta and do it that way.”

According to the Los Angeles Times’ Broderick Turner, the Lakers are currently exploring a two-year, $20 million contract for Kuminga, slotting him in as a two-way wing capable of completing the starting lineup alongside Dončić.