The New Orleans Pelicans will be thin at center to start the 2025-'26 season, with newcomer Kevon Looney suffering a preseason injury.
The longtime Golden State Warrior suffered a proximal tibiofibular ligament sprain during a preseason game in Australia. He's expected to be re-evaluated in 2-3 weeks, meaning he'll miss at least a chunk of the first month of the season.
Looney signed to a 2-year, $16 million contract in New Orleans this offseason after spending the first 10 years of his career with the Warriors, where he won three NBA titles. He appeared in 76 games a year ago and averaged 4.5 points, 6.1 rebounds and 1.4 assists. He's appeared in at least 74 games in each of his past four seasons.
The Pelicans close out their preseason slate on Thursday against the Magic, then open up their season on the road against the Memphis Grizzlies on Oct. 22.
The injury will leave the Pelicans precariously thin in the frontcourt, with rookie center Derik Queen's status still unclear as he works back from surgery to repair a torn ligament in his left wrist suffered during a Summer League game. If Queen can't play, the only other traditional center options on the current roster are second-year pro Yves Missi, rookie Hunter Dickinson and veteran Karlo Matkovic, who left early in this week's preseason game due to elbow soreness.
The Pelicans are hoping to bounce back this season under a new regime headed by Joe Dumars, who retained head coach Willie Green and the core of the roster. The biggest change involved the trade of CJ McCollum and the addition of guard Jordan Poole, along with forward Saddiq Bey. Zion Williamson also appears healthy and is looking to return to his All-Star form after another season severely limited by injuries.