Los Angeles Lakers coach JJ Redick offered high praise to his team’s lone trade deadline acquisition, Luke Kennard, after the sharpshooter’s move to the Purple and Gold became official Thursday.
Redick also shed light on how he plans to incorporate the nine-year veteran into LA’s spacing-needy offense.
JJ Redick Dubs Lakers Newcomer Luke Kennard 1 of NBA’s ‘Best Shooters’
On Thursday, the Lakers landed Kennard from the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for guard Gabe Vincent and a 2032 second-round pick, adding some long-overdue shooting help.
The 29-year-old arrives in LA leading the NBA in 3-point percentage through 46 appearances off the bench with Atlanta, shooting 49.7% on 3.2 attempts a game.
Conversely, the Lakers (31-19) rank just 23rd in the league in 3s per game (11.8) and 21st in 3-point percentage (34.9%), making Kennard a clear-cut fit with the aspiring Western Conference contender.
Redick, a former 15-year NBA 3-point marksman, is no stranger to the importance of elite shooters. As such, the second-year coach plans to take full advantage of Kennard’s skill set.
“Excited about Luke. I’ve known him for about 12 years now, and I think he’s one of the best shooters in the NBA,” Redick said following Thursday’s 119-115 home win over the Philadelphia 76ers. “I’m gonna highly encourage him to shoot more and not turn down shots.”
Redick then called attention to the journeyman’s underrated playmaking ability and all-around high-IQ play.
“I think one of the underrated parts of his game is his ability to move and create second actions and move the basketball,” Redick shared.
“You’ve seen that now at a number of his stops, where you can initiate the offense through off-ball movement, and he will just make the right play and sort of get the offense going. So, he’ll be a corner threat, he’ll be an off-ball threat, and we’re excited to have him.”
“He’s one of the best shooters in the NBA and I’m going to encourage him to shoot more” – JJ Redick offers his first thoughts on the Lakers trading for Luke Kennard, while praising Gabe Vincent for his time with the Lakers pic.twitter.com/wI7ua5wJv7
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) February 6, 2026
Redick’s resounding endorsement matters, as Kennard’s minutes have declined over the past couple of seasons despite his elite efficiency. He averaged just 20.5 minutes a night with the Hawks this season, a number that could increase with the Lakers.
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Kennard should be able to thrive playing off LA superstars Luka Dončić and LeBron James’ elite facilitation, while also serving as a complementary playmaker to help the Lakers’ offense avoid getting stagnant.
Meanwhile, LA surrendered very little to acquire his expiring $11,000,000 contract, with Vincent in the midst of a brutal shooting campaign.
Kennard, who has hit at least 100 triples in five straight seasons, appears poised to extend that streak to six with the Lakers as he plays under a brighter spotlight than ever before in one of the NBA’s premier markets.
