29-Year-Old Guard Signs With the Atlanta Hawks
This past season, the Memphis Grizzlies tried to show the Western Conference that this team should be taken more seriously and as a contender. Even though Memphis won 48 games, they still finished as the eighth seed in the West and had to battle in the Play-In Tournament just to reach the playoffs. It was a quick outing for the Grizzlies as they were swept in the first round by the Oklahoma City Thunder. 29-year-old shooting guard Luke Kennard was a key piece to the Grizzlies' bench rotation. Kennard became a free agent after the season concluded, and it has now been reported by Shams Charania that he signed a one-year deal with the Atlanta Hawks.
Kennard was drafted 12th overall by the Detroit Pistons during the 2017 NBA Draft. He spent seasons in Detroit before being traded at the beginning of the 2020-2021 season to the Los Angeles Clippers. During his final year with the Pistons, Kennard averaged nearly 16 points a game. That quickly dropped when he joined the Clippers the following season, as he averaged around eight points a night. The 29-year-old spent two and a half seasons with the Clippers before being traded a second time within his career, this time to the Memphis Grizzlies. Last season, Kennard re-signed with the Grizzlies on a one-year deal.
Last season, the 29-year-old guard played in 65 games, starting in 11 of them. In 23 minutes a night, he averaged nine points, three rebounds, three assists, and a steal. In four games during the 2025 NBA Playoffs, Kennard averaged five points, four rebounds, two assists, and a steal in 20 minutes. On March 12th, during a 122-115 win over the Utah Jazz, Kennard dropped 30 points along with four rebounds, an assist, a steal, and a block. There were a few other instances throughout the season where the 29-year-old put up more than 20 points. He’s a very efficient shooter and can be a valuable asset to the Hawks if they use him right. This upcoming season, Kennard hopes to stay healthy and become a crucial piece to the Atlanta offense.
