Kevon Looney moved from Milwaukee to Westwood in the summer of 2014, a mega recruit arriving on his college campus a bit early.



His first few weeks at UCLA were spent scrimmaging. Those games, while helpful, were mostly forgettable. Except one.



During a random play on a random day, his teammate, Isaac Hamilton, barreled down the lane and tossed up a floater. Looney flipped around, glanced up and squared for a rebound attempt. But before he could jump, his basketball career path was forever altered.



After releasing the floater, Hamilton tumbled forward, crashing into the right side of Looney’s right leg. His hip bent awkwardly. He could barely get back down the court. The massive joint was messed up.



Three years later, the aftereffects have pushed Looney to this curious point, still only 21 years old but trying to resuscitate a fading NBA career, in question before it ever really had a chance to begin.



Oct. 31 is the deadline for teams...