The Los Angeles Lakers didn't make a large splash ahead of the 2026 NBA trade deadline, but they did add a veteran sharpshooter in Luke Kennard, team him up with LeBron James and Luka Doncic.
The 29-year-old former first-round pick out of Duke has made his rounds in the league since starting with the Detroit Pistons in 2017.
This season, Kennard was in the midst of his first full season with the Atlanta Hawks. He appeared in 46 games, coming off the bench for each matchup. The veteran guard shot 53 percent from the field, knocking down 49 percent of his threes. He produced 7.9 points per game, along with 2.2 rebounds and 2.1 assists.
The Lakers swapped out Gabe Vincent and a future second-round pick in order to acquire Kennard. The veteran guard was made available to play in the Lakers' February 7 outing against the Golden State Warriors.
Kennard helped the Lakers off the bench in a 105-99 victory. In 26 minutes of action, Kennard put up seven shots from the field, with four of them coming from beyond the arc. After going 4-7, Kennard produced 10 points and came down with two rebounds while dishing out two assists.
Following the game, LeBron James assessed his newest teammate's performance with a glowing review.
"He played great… He played great!" James said in his postgame interview.
"I thought his playmaking, when they ran him off the line and he was able to get into the paint, his kick out to guys for open looks, I thought was great. That was a big time three one one of the ATOs that he had right in the corner. Solid guy, man. Glad to have him."
Kennard is currently playing in year nine. He's spent three years with the Pistons, three years with the Los Angeles Clippers, three years with the Memphis Grizzlies, and 46 games with the Hawks.
Throughout his career, Kennard averaged 9.6 points per game. The veteran is a 44 percent shooter from deep, on 4.4 attempts per game.
The Lakers pick up Kennard on a one-year deal, worth $11 million. There's no telling what the future holds for the veteran beyond his current run with the Lakers, but he has a great opportunity in front of him, playing alongside Doncic and James in the purple and gold.
Newsweek