4 Former Duke Players JJ Redick Can Bring to Lakers This Offseason
By Cem Yolbulan
Luke Kennard
The former Duke sharpshooter hasn't had the NBA career some were hoping for when he was drafted with the 12th overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft. He wasn't able to live up to the expectations after he signed a four-year, $64 million deal with the Los Angeles Clippers in 2020. Since then, he has been traded to the Memphis Grizzlies but failed to make much of an impact there over the last two seasons.
The Grizzlies have a team option on Kennard for the 2024-25 season. Considering that he missed 66 games over the last two campaigns, it's safe to assume that Memphis will not pick up the option worth $14.7 million for next year. This makes the shooting guard an unrestricted free agent.
The Lakers could provide an interesting opportunity for Kennard to revive his career. Playing under one of the best shooters of all-time in Redick and with LeBron James, who has revived plenty of shooters' careers, Kennard could have a bounce-back season in Los Angeles.
Plus, he is an excellent fit in Los Angeles. He is a career 43.9% three-point shooter and has some ability to run pick-and-roll as a secondary creator. He is adept at running the offense on bench units and if he were to come on a team-friendly deal, the Lakers could do much worse than taking a flyer on the 27-year-old.
Sure, Kennard comes with defensive shortcomings but the Lakers have James and Anthony Davis to cover for those on the backline.