The Los Angeles Lakers agreed to an interesting trade on Thursday, acquiring Atlanta Hawks sharpshooter Luke Kennard in exchange for guard Gabe Vincent and a 2032 second-round pick.
Both Kennard and Vincent will be unrestricted free agents in the offseason, but the Lakers opted to upgrade offensively with Kennard’s elite 3-point shooting.
L.A. reportedly likes the idea that Kennard can help create space on the court for Luka Doncic, LeBron James and Austin Reaves to operate. L.A.’s three best players are all elite scorers off the dribble, and the team being able to space the floor around them is crucial.
“The Lakers like the idea that Kennard’s shooting can create space on the court for Luka Doncic, LeBron James and Austin Reaves, who just returned to play Tuesday night at Brooklyn after missing 19 games with a left calf strain,” the Los Angeles Times’ Broderick Turner wrote.
This season, Kennard is shooting 49.7 percent from 3-point range across 46 games. While he played a smaller role in Atlanta (just 20.5 minutes per game off the bench), he is an upgrade over Vincent offensively.
This season, Vincent is averaging just 4.8 points per game while shooting 34.6 percent from the field and 36.9 percent from 3-point range. During his Lakers tenure, he shot just 34.1 percent from beyond the arc.
Kennard isn’t an elite defensive player, but he should open up the team’s offense for Doncic, Reaves and James. The Lakers are clearly leaning into their offense, which is currently No. 9 in the league in offensive rating.
The Lakes have struggled defensively (24th in defensive rating), but they may be able to outscore teams with shooters like Kennard and Rui Hachimura spacing the floor around their three stars.
Los Angeles is currently the No. 6 seed in the Western Conference, and it may need to go on a run to close out the 2025-26 season if it wants to avoid the play-in tournament. The Western Conference is loaded with quality teams, so it makes sense that the Lakers felt a need to upgrade their roster ahead of the deadline.
L.A. will take on the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday night, the team’s first home game in quite some time after a long eight-game road trip.
