NBA
LK
#10

Luke Kennard

Guard · Los Angeles Lakers · 6'5", 206 lb · Born Jun 24, 1996 · Middletown, Ohio · Drafted 12th overall, 2017
2× 3PT% leaderLos Angeles LakersElite shooterAcquired 2026
NBALos Angeles LakersGuards
Compare:vs Reavesvs Aytonvs LaRaviavs Hayesvs Doncicvs Smart
In short

Luke Kennard is one of the NBA's most accurate shooters, acquired by the Los Angeles Lakers in February 2026. A Duke product drafted 12th in 2017, he led the league in three-point percentage twice (2022, 2023) and owns one of the highest career three-point marks in NBA history. He provides elite floor-spacing off the bench, and recorded his first Lakers triple-double in 2025-26.

Matchup model · next gameMedium confidenceWed, Nov 11
vsMemphis GrizzliesDrop coverage
Proj. points
9
range 6.3–11.7
Line 9
50%
to go over
Team win
64%
114–110
Poi 9 Lean overReb 2.6 Lean overAss 2.4 Lean underPRA 14 Lean over
Likely on himKentavious Caldwell-Pope· 78 Perimeter DStrong defender
5+ pts91%10+ pts37%

Model lines Kennard at 9 pts (range 6.3–11.7) vs a 9 line — roughly a coin flip to clear it (50%).

Biggest edge: scheme fit — drop coverage concedes the pull-up/mid-range he likes.

Full matchup breakdown · all markets →
Balladex Matchup Model — modeled from real roster ratings, scoring baselines & defender-matchup history. Schedule, availability & head-to-head samples are illustrative in this prototype; production wires live schedule, injury & player-tracking feeds. Not betting advice.
✦ Ask anything about Kennard
The Kennard Story — narrated
Tap play to hear his story, told as a 90-second short.
🔊 Prototype uses your browser's built-in voice. Production would use a studio-grade AI narrator.

One of the most accurate shooters in NBA history — the deadline marksman the Lakers needed.

A Duke standout and ACC Tournament MVP, Kennard was drafted 12th by Detroit in 2017.

🔵 Duke12th, 2017

He led the NBA in three-point percentage in both 2022 and 2023 — among the best shooters of his era.

🎯 2× 3PT% leader~88% FT

After Detroit, the Clippers, Memphis, and Atlanta, the Lakers acquired him in February 2026 for elite spacing.

Traded to LAL, 2026Floor-spacer

He posted his first Lakers triple-double, with a career-high 16 rebounds, in 2025-26.

9.0 ppg · .448 3PFirst LAL triple-double
— end of story —
Want the full numbers? Open the breakdown →
PPG
9
2025-26
RPG
2.6
per game
APG
2.4
per game
FG%
.527
.448 from three
LIFE

Roots & the rise

One of the most accurate shooters in NBA history — the elite floor-spacer the Lakers added at the deadline.

Luke Douglas Kennard was born in Middletown, Ohio and starred at Duke, earning ACC Tournament MVP and consensus second-team All-American honors before Detroit drafted him 12th overall in 2017. He became one of the league's deadliest marksmen, leading the NBA in three-point percentage in both 2022 and 2023.

After stops with Detroit, the Clippers, Memphis, and Atlanta, the Lakers acquired him in February 2026 (for Gabe Vincent). With one of the highest career three-point percentages in NBA history and an elite free-throw stroke, he gives Los Angeles pure floor-spacing — and he recorded his first Lakers triple-double, with a career-high 16 rebounds, in 2025-26.

Sources: Wikipedia, NBA.com, Basketball-Reference, ESPN.

BEYOND THE GAME

Beyond the game

Kennard, a married father (wife Anna, son Porter), built his career on one elite, repeatable skill: shooting. A high-school legend in Ohio, he refined a picture-perfect stroke at Duke and turned it into a decade-long NBA niche as a specialist whose gravity bends defenses.

His identity is efficiency — one of the best three-point and free-throw shooters of his era. On a Lakers team full of shot creators, his role is clean: relocate, catch, and fire, providing the spacing that opens the floor for Doncic, LeBron, and Reaves.

PERSONALITY

The person

A pure, elite marksman — one of the best three-point shooters in NBA history.

Elite shooterLed the NBA in three-point percentage twice (2022, 2023).
Historic efficiencyAmong the highest career three-point percentages in league history.
Free-throw aceA career ~88% free-throw shooter.
PLAYER DNA

Archetype & ratings

Archetype
Bench Sharpshooter
Temperament
Spark
Leadership
58/100
Scoring56
Playmaking53
Rebounding40
Perimeter D64
Rim protection21
Spacing80
Athleticism70
Clutch61
a bench sharpshooter
ANALYSIS

What the numbers say

Spacing as a weapon

Kennard is a genuine defense-warping shooter — a two-time three-point percentage leader whose career mark ranks among the best ever. On a Lakers team with three high-usage creators, his job is simple and valuable: relocate, catch, and knock down threes at an elite clip, opening driving and passing lanes for the stars.

STATS

Season by season

Per game

SeasonGPMINPTSREBASTFG%3P%
2025-263223.09.02.62.4.527.448

Source: Basketball-Reference.

ADVANCED

Advanced & historical

Where he sits in history

ShootingLed the NBA in three-point percentage twice (2022, 2023)
EfficiencyAmong the highest career three-point percentages in NBA history
CollegeACC Tournament MVP and consensus second-team All-American at Duke

Hardware

2×
NBA 3-point percentage leader
1×
ACC Tournament MVP (2017)
OUTLOOK

Where it's headed

AI-generated · updated July 13, 2026

An elite floor-spacer acquired at the deadline — pure shooting for the Lakers.

Acquired in February 2026, Kennard gives Los Angeles one of the best three-point strokes in the league. His defense and size are limited, but his elite, high-percentage shooting is a genuine weapon around the Lakers' creators.

Three-point shootingElite
Free-throw shootingElite
Off-ball movementStrong
DefenseBelow average

Contract

Team
Lakers acquired 2026
Role
Bench shooter spacer
Age
30 prime
Bottom line

One of the most accurate shooters in NBA history. Pure, elite floor-spacing — exactly the deadline weapon a star-heavy Lakers team needed.

FAQ

Quick answers

What is Luke Kennard known for?

Elite shooting — he led the NBA in three-point percentage in both 2022 and 2023 and owns one of the highest career three-point marks in league history.

How did Luke Kennard join the Lakers?

Los Angeles acquired him from Atlanta in a February 2026 trade for Gabe Vincent and a future second-round pick.

Where did Luke Kennard go to college?

Duke, where he was ACC Tournament MVP and a consensus second-team All-American before Detroit drafted him 12th in 2017.