The Lakers made a deal around the margins when they acquired sharpshooter Luke Kennard from the Atlanta Hawks for Gabe Vincent and a 2032 second-round draft pick on Thursday morning, according to people with knowledge of the deal not authorized to discuss it publicly.
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.
Kennard, a 6-foot-5 guard, is shooting an NBA-best 49.7% from three-point range with the Hawks this season over 46 games, all off the bench. He has shot 44.2% from three-point range during his nine-year career.
Kennard is averaging 7.9 points, 2.2 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game. He is shooting 53.8% from the field.
He may not be the defender the Lakers were hoping to get, but Kennard’s ability to knock down open shots was seen as a positive, sources told The Times.
The Lakers are not expected to make any more moves today — the NBA deadline for deals is noon PST — and instead look to make a big splash this summer when they have a lot more resources available.
The Lakers will have about $60-million in salary cap space this summer and three first-round picks in 2026, 2031 and 2023 they could use to sweeten potential trade offers.
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