Luke Kennard

Kennard made his Suns debut on Saturday after sitting out Wednesday’s loss to the Trail Blazers, providing welcome three-point production. He shot 3-of-5 from beyond the arc against the Warriors, and his final stat line lacked only a blocked shot. Kennard can help managers who need points and three-pointers, but not while the Suns are on a light schedule. Phoenix plays two games in Week 2, so adding Kennard offers little upside.

Kennard is set to make his Suns debut after sitting out Wednesday’s loss to the Trail Blazers. His return will likely result in fewer minutes for fellow reserve Jordan Goodwin.

Kennard did not play in Wednesday’s season-opening loss to the Trail Blazers, and his absence led to Jordan Goodwin playing 22 minutes off the bench. Goodwin’s playing time may suffer if Kennard returns.

Kennard will miss the Suns’ season opener after initially being listed as questionable. His absence likely means fellow reserve Jordan Goodwin will get more minutes.

Kennard exited early from Wednesday’s preseason game, and that same injury may prevent him from suiting up for the season opener a week later. Jordan Goodwin will likely be tasked with taking on a larger bench role if Kennard is unavailable.

Kennard landed awkwardly after attempting a runner during the second quarter of Wednesday’s game. The veteran wing, who started because the Suns sat their expected starters, immediately walked back to the locker room and has since been ruled out. When available, Kennard can provide solid three-point value in deeper leagues, even though he’ll be used in a reserve role.

Devin Booker was unavailable for Saturday’s game, so Kennard moved into the starting lineup. The Suns signed the veteran wing in free agency for his perimeter shooting prowess, and he shot 4-of-10 from beyond the arc against the Spurs. Kennard can help fantasy managers seeking three-point production, but he shouldn’t be considered a must-draft player.

Kennard appeared in 78 regular-season games in 2025-26, playing 46 for the Hawks before being traded to the Lakers at the February deadline. In 21.6 minutes per game, he averaged 8.4 points, 2.3 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.5 three-pointers while shooting 53.3 percent from the field and 91.3 percent from the foul line. In Kennard, the Suns add one of the most accurate three-point shooters in the NBA, potentially providing valuable spacing playing off of Devin Booker and Jalen Green. The second year of Kennard’s contract is a player option, and he’ll be most valuable to fantasy managers seeking three-point production.

Kennard’s availability gives the Lakers another scoring option off the bench against a Thunder defense that has overwhelmed teams throughout its title defense. The three-point specialist hasn’t had much success since the beginning of the Lakers’ first-round series against the Rockets. He’s shot 2-of-10 from deep and totaled only 18 points over the last four games.

Kennard is dealing with neck soreness and is listed as questionable for Game 2 on Thursday. With Austin Reaves returning to the starting lineup in Game 6 of the first round series against the Rockets last week, Kennard will be back in a bench role if he’s available for Game 2.

Kennard followed up his 27-point performance in Game 1 with 23 points in Game 2. The Lakers will certainly take this kind of production from Kennard while Luka Doncic (hamstring) and Austin Reaves (oblique) are still out. Expect more of the same from Kennard until the Lakers get their stars back, though the Lakers will face a tough environment in Houston for Game 3 on Friday.

With no Luka Dončić (hamstring) or Austin Reaves (oblique), the Lakers were going to need more production from Kennard in Saturday’s playoff opener. The veteran sharpshooter answered the call, making all five of his three-point attempts and scoring a playoff career-high 27 points. Kennard also shot 50 percent from inside the arc in one of his best performances of the season. The Lakers will need a similar performance from Kennard in Game 2 on Tuesday.

With their win over the Suns, the Lakers still have a chance of being the No. 3 seed in the West. However, they would need a win over the Jazz on Sunday, combined with a Nuggets loss to the Spurs, to make that happen. Kennard looked sharp on Friday, and he’s reached double figures in all four games the Lakers have played since losing Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves. Once the playoffs begin, the Lakers will need consistent production from Kennard, likely at a higher level than in the last four games.

Kennard has been cleared after he was initially listed as questionable with a finger injury. The 29-year-old shooting guard has taken on extra importance with the Lakers missing Austin Reaves and Luka Doncic. Kennard has eight and nine assists in his last two games, so managers can consider him a reliable source of assists once again Friday.

Kennard has become a pivotal piece in the Lakers’ starting unit due to the absences of both Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves. Marcus Smart will be back following a nine-game absence, which may push Kennard to the bench if he plays, though Smart will certainly occupy his starting spot if Kennard is out.

Kennard followed up his nine-assist performance with another great display of passing on Thursday. The veteran guard also tallied a season high in steals, accounting for over a quarter of the Lakers’ total. He has fit in nicely as a Laker since being traded from the Hawks ahead of the February trade deadline. He’ll likely return to a reserve role once the team’s key perimeter players return from injury. However, Kennard remains productive as a starter.

Given the absences from the Lakers’ lineup, fantasy managers in active leagues likely hoped for more scoring from Kennard. He attempted just seven shots, which was more about Oklahoma City’s defense than any hesitation on Kennard’s part. He was essentially the focus of their defensive efforts, limiting the guard’s scoring opportunities. However, Kennard recorded a game-high nine assists while shooting over 50 percent from the field. Getting LeBron James (foot) back for the final three games of the regular season would certainly help Kennard and the other Lakers.

In defeat, Kennard had the most productive all-around game of his NBA career. Finishing with his first triple-double, the Lakers’ guard finished Sunday’s defeat with a new career-high in rebounds. This was Kennard’s first game with at least 10 rebounds and 10 assists. Lastly, according to Law Murray of The Athletic, he had never recorded a 10-rebound game and a 10-assist game in the same season. Performances like Sunday’s are highly unlikely to become the norm for Kennard, but injuries to Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves raised his ceiling for managers whose leagues are active in Week 24.

Already without Marcus Smart, the Lakers will have to finish the regular season without Luka Dončić (hamstring) and Austin Reaves (oblique) over the next 10 days. As a result, Kennard and Hachimura move into the starting lineup, and both are worth streaming due to the Lakers’ lack of depth.

Kennard was one of many Lakers to produce offensively against the Wizards. He accounted for more than half of Los Angeles’ total three-pointers on the evening and finished as one of the team’s top scorers. Kennard is enjoying another strong shooting season from beyond the arc. He doesn’t often provide much impact elsewhere, however. Still, he’s capable of some big nights if he gets enough shots up from deep.