The current NBA landscape revolves so much around the three-point shot. If a 12-year-old NBA fan watched a game from the early 1990s, the game wouldn’t look anything to them as it does now. While players such as Reggie Miller and Glen Rice were sharpshooters, they certainly weren’t shooting threes at the rate current marksmen do.
Teams in today’s game are always looking for more three-point shooters. Even old school coaches such as Gregg Popovich and Tom Thibodeau have had to change their coaching philosophies to become more three-point happy.
Luke Kennard, just 28 years old, has led the league in three-point accuracy twice and would be afraid target for many if made available. He is also a player that could potentially be available to other teams as the trade deadline is less than two months away.
Could The Grizzlies Make Luke Kennard Available For Trade?
Luke Kennard Would Be A Trade Target For Many
Now in his eighth NBA season, Kennard has been one of the game’s most deadeye long-range shooters. He has connected on 43.9% of his career tries from beyond the arc. He led the NBA in three-point percentage back-to-back seasons in 2021-22 and 2022-23. Kennard has never shot less than 39.4% from three-point distance in any season.
So why would the 6-foot-5 guard potentially be available for trade? Blame it on the Memphis Grizzlies depth. Memphis is off to a roaring 18-9 start, the second-best record in the Western Conference.
A foot injury sidelined Kennard for the first eight games of the season. An illness recently sidelined him for three more. Kennard was available last Friday against the Brooklyn Nets, but received his first DNP-CD of the season.
Kennard did play 18 minutes in Memphis’ most recent outing on Sunday, a loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. Despite the team losing, he scored 12 points and connected on three of four three-point tries. It was a solid outing, but Kennard has seen his playing time decline. He has averaged a career-low 19.7 minutes, and that’s with some key pieces not available for the Grizzlies.
May Receive Less Minutes On Full-Strength Grizzlies Squad
The Grizzlies are off to a great start, and that’s with not being full-strength all season. Numerous pieces that are vital parts to the team have missed time. Two names have barely played, or not played at all.
The one who hasn’t played at all is GG Jackson II. The 45th overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, Jackson II took advantage of an injury-ravaged 2023-24 Grizzlies roster. He averaged 14.6 points in his 48 outings and was named to the All-Rookie Second Team.
The other player is Vince Williams Jr. He has only appeared in three games this season, and is out at the moment with an ankle sprain. In 56 games (34 starts) last season, the 24-year-old posted averages of 10.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 3.4 assists.
Of course, injuries are a part of the game. Memphis is certainly aware of this the last two seasons. When these two return though, one has to wonder how much playing time Kennard would receive. With Kennard having re-signed with Memphis on a very reasonable one-year, $9.25 million deal, there certainty would be suitors for the elite three-point shooter if made available.
