Despite rumors of being in the market for trades from Giannis Antetokounmpo to Keon Ellis, the Los Angeles Lakers ended up with one deal before the 2026 NBA trade deadline. They swapped out Gabe Vincent for Luke Kennard.
The former NBA All-Star Gilbert Arenas is far from impressed with LA's front office.
"I'm giving them an F because they traded a F player for a F player, that's how that works," Arenas said after the deadline.
"It's an upgrade, but is it an upgrade that helps the team in its drastic form? No. Did we get more athletic? No. Did we get faster? No. Taller? You got a better shooting percentage from the other guy who is just going to be sitting in a corner waiting for the ball. [The Lakers] don't need anymore stand around players. It doesn't work! Stand arounds don't work!"
The former veteran guard claims the Lakers should be on the hunt for players that can help mirror the look of the Oklahoma City Thunder. While there are some stand-around players, they are mostly equipped with attackers. Arenas doesn't believe Kennard fits the description.
Throughout his nine-year career, Kennard has established himself as a stellar three-point shooter. Taking 4.4 attempts per game from deep, the veteran guard has averaged 44 percent from beyond the arc. He produced 9.6 points per game in a little over 500 matchups.
During his 46-game run with the Atlanta Hawks, Kennard was shooting lights out. The Lakers likely saw his 49 percent from beyond the arc and felt he would be the perfect fit alongside Luka Doncic and LeBron James. Following Kennard's first set of action in Los Angeles, LeBron was encouraged.
"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," James said after the debut. "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."
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So far, Kennard has logged roughly 25 minutes in each of his first two games with the Lakers. He accounted for 17 points, while making three of his six shots from deep, keeping up with his season average.
Only time will tell if the Lakers did enough to push themselves into championship contention at the deadline. They are 1-1 since last Thursday passed. The absence of Luka Doncic certainly has an effect on them, but Arenas' grade cannot be validated until the postseason plays out.
Newsweek