The Phoenix Suns have added one of the NBA’s most accurate perimeter shooters, agreeing to a two-year, $13 million contract with free agent Luke Kennard. ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Tuesday that the deal includes a player option for the 2027-28 season.
Kennard departs the Los Angeles Lakers after spending the second half of the 2025-26 season with the franchise. He appeared in 32 regular-season games for Los Angeles, averaging 9.0 points, 2.6 rebounds and 2.4 assists while shooting 52.7% from the field, 44.8% from three-point range and 91.2% from the free-throw line in 23.0 minutes per game.
Across the entire 2025-26 campaign, split between the Atlanta Hawks and Lakers, the 30-year-old played 78 games and produced 8.4 points, 2.3 rebounds and 2.2 assists per contest. He shot a career-best 53.3% from the field while converting 47.8% of his three-point attempts and 91.3% from the foul line, finishing with an outstanding .665 effective field-goal percentage.
Kennard’s arrival continues an aggressive offseason for Phoenix following a 45-37 season that ended with a first-round sweep at the hands of the Oklahoma City Thunder. Since free agency opened, the Suns have retained Collin Gillespie, Mark Williams and Jordan Goodwin, acquired Miles Bridges, and now secured one of the league’s premier floor spacers despite interest from multiple teams.
Few players have matched Kennard’s shooting efficiency throughout his NBA career. Over nine seasons with the Detroit Pistons, Los Angeles Clippers, Memphis Grizzlies, Hawks and Lakers, he owns career shooting splits of 46.6% from the field, 44.2% from beyond the arc and 88.5% at the free-throw line. His 44.2% career three-point percentage ranks among the best active marks in the league.
Kennard has consistently been one of basketball’s most efficient offensive role players. During the 2022-23 season, he shot an NBA-best 49.4% from three while splitting the year between the Clippers and Grizzlies. After being traded to Memphis that season, he connected on an incredible 54.0% of his three-point attempts over 24 games.