The Philadelphia 76ers are considering signing 3-time NBA champion Kevon Looney as a free agent. Last result: Philadelphia 76ers 113-126 Milwaukee Bucks (2025-04-03). ## What happened?
Kevon Looney's contract option with the New Orleans Pelicans is expected to be declined, making him an unrestricted free agent. The Philadelphia 76ers need frontcourt depth behind Joel Embiid. Looney has championship experience and understands his role.
Why it matters for Philadelphia 76ers
Looney's skills include rebounding, screening, and defensive discipline. He is not a player who expects a major offensive role. The Sixers need someone who can buy Embiid rest, defend, rebound, and avoid becoming a weak link in short playoff stretches. Looney's experience and toughness would be useful in theory.
What comes next?
The problem is that Philadelphia cannot evaluate Looney based only on what he used to be. Looney's first season away from Golden State did not provide much evidence that he can still handle a steady role. He appeared in just 21 games for New Orleans and averaged 14.6 minutes per game. The Pelicans were not a team that was exactly overflowing with stability and talent, but Looney still did not become a meaningful rotation piece. If a middling team could not consistently rely on him, the Sixers have to ask how much they could realistically expect from him in a more demanding environment. Recent form: | Date | Result | | --- | --- | | 2025-04-03 | 113-126 loss to Milwaukee Bucks | The concern becomes less about Looney's skill and more about his mileage. He has played deep into multiple playoff runs, spent years absorbing contact as an undersized center, and built his reputation on physicality. His career deserves respect, but it's fair to question how much gas is left in the tank. Looney's rebounding and hustle could still help in the right role. His mobility, even if diminished, has always been better than his bigger frame suggests. He knows where to be, how to screen, how to help, and how to fit next to stars. But the Sixers need reliability, not nostalgia. If Looney is a minimum-cost reserve who fills a small role, the idea is reasonable. If Philadelphia views him as a real answer behind Embiid, that is harder to justify. The Philadelphia 76ers' recent form has been poor, with 0 wins, 0 draws, and 4 losses in their last 4 games.