The Los Angeles Lakers made at least one move befere the NBA trade deadline on Thur, Feb 5 at 12 p.m. PST/3 p.m. EST as they acquired shooting guard Luke Kennard from the Atlanta Hawks and dealt fellow guard Gabe Vincent and a second-round pick in the 2032 NBA draft to Atlanta. Kennard is in his ninth season in the NBA and has played for four teams, including the Detroit Pistons, Los Angeles Clippers and Memphis Grizzlies. Kennard is one of the best three-point shooters in the league as he is shooting a career-best 49.7% from beyond the arc and has a 44.2% career three-point shooting average.

Landing Kennard helps aid the bench depth for the Purple & Gold and gives them someone who can improve their three-point shooting numbers. The Lakers rank 22nd overall in three-point shooting percentage this season at a tick below 35%. Being a left-handed shooter, Kennard looks to join a special group of players in the history of the most successful NBA franchise in the past half-century in terms of being southpaw stars. A few special lefty shooters for the Purple & Gold include Gail Goodrich, Derek Fisher, Lamar Odom and Julius Randle. Looking to be a part of a championship team in the NBA after barely missing out on winning a national championship at Duke(he was in his senior year of high school when the Blue Devils won their most recent title in 2015), Kennard will seek to be a valuable asset for the Lakers down the stretch of these last two months of the regular season.

Los Angeles is currently in a tight logjam in the Western Conference standings at 30-19 and sit in between the Minnesota Timberwolves and Phoenix Suns as they begin a five-game homestand against the Philadelphia 76ers that leads into the All-Star Break. Kennard will also be a scoring upgrade from Gabe Vincent, who was only averaging five points per game in limited play off the bench and injuries to his ankle and knee kept him mostly sidelined during his three and a half seasons in Tinseltown. Now having a chance to play alongside fellow bench players such as Rui Hachimura and Jaxson Hayes, Kennard will also share court time with three of the best players in the league in LeBron James, Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves. The Lakers hope to benefit from Kennard’s experience and increase their offensive numbers in the latter 33 games of their 2025-26 season.