Los Angeles Lakers coach JJ Redick praised Luke Kennard after the team acquired him from the Atlanta Hawks, highlighting his elite shooting, off-ball movement, and playmaking ability.
The Los Angeles Lakers have added sharpshooter Luke Kennard in a trade with the Atlanta Hawks, sending Gabe Vincent and a 2032 second-round pick to Atlanta.
Luke Kennard
Luke Kennard
Luke Kennard
MIN: 20.74
PTS: 8.04 (58.61%)
REB: 2.13
AS: 2.11
ST: 0.73
BL: 0.11
TO: 0.71
GM: 45
The move gives the Lakers the wing they've been searching for, and coach JJ Redick is already high on what Kennard brings to the roster.
"Excited about Luke, Redick said in a post-game press conference. I've known him for 12 and I think he's one of the best shooters in the NBA. I'm gonna highly encourage him to shoot more and not turn down shots, but I think one of the underrated parts of his game is his ability to move, create actions, and move the basketball."
"And you've seen that now at a number of his stops where he can initiate the offense through off-ball movement, and he will just make the right play and sort of get the offense going. So, you know, he'll be a corner threat, and he'll be an off-ball threat, and we're excited to have him."
Kennard, 29, signed a one-year, $11 million contract with the Hawks last summer after two and a half seasons with the Memphis Grizzlies.
He has also played for the LA Clippers and Detroit Pistons. The Duke alumnus was selected 12th overall in the 2017 NBA Draft, the same school as Redick.
This season, Kennard has averaged 7.9 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 2.1 assists over 46 games with Atlanta while shooting 53.8% from the field and an impressive 49.7% from three-point range.
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