Luke Kennard, Suns Reportedly Agree to Contract After Lakers Stint, Updated Salary Cap

After a successful stint with the Los Angeles Lakers down the stretch last season, Luke Kennard is going to join the Phoenix Suns free agency. Per Shams Charania of ESPN, Kennard has agreed to a two-year, $13 million contract with the Suns.

The Lakers acquired Kennard prior to the trade deadline in February from the Atlanta Hawks. He wound up becoming one of head coach JJ Redick's most-trusted role players off the bench for the stretch run.

Kennard appeared in 32 games, averaging 9.0 points on 52.7 percent shooting (44.8 percent from three). He also contributed 2.6 rebounds and 2.4 assists per contest.

When the Lakers had their full complement of players throughout the month of March, they performed like one of the best teams in the NBA. They had a 15-2 record with wins over teams like the New York Knicks, Minnesota Timberwolves, Denver Nuggets and Houston Rockets.

Injuries to Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves late in the season that carried over into the playoffs changed the trajectory of things for the Lakers, but they were able to show enough at full strength to suggest their ceiling was very high.

Despite that late-season success, the Lakers had to figure things out with some of their star players. They answered those questions by agreeing to a four-year, $185 million contract with Austin Reaves.

LeBron James informed the Lakers he would be signing elsewhere right before the start of free agency.

Kennard wound up being left out of the mix, but he was able to land on his feet with the Suns. The 30-year-old has been a three-point ace throughout his career, giving him a defined role as a shooter in his new home as Phoenix looks to make a deep playoff run next season.

After already making an aggressive move to acquire Miles Bridges from the Charlotte Hornets, the Suns continue to add more offensive punch to their lineup by bringing in Kennard.

The Suns had a top-10 defense by rating in 2025-26, but a below-average offense contributed to them finishing in the play-in tournament. They were able to emerge as the No. 8 seed before getting swept by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round.

Devin Booker and Dillon Brooks remain the focal point of everything Suns head coach Jordan Ott wants to do, but they have a better supporting cast in place with Bridges and Kennard to help the offense.

The defensive limitations of Bridges and Kennard could lower their ceiling on that end. If they hit on offense in the way that Phoenix is counting on, though, these moves could bring the franchise closer to the 50-win mark next season.

Even though that still is unlikely to get the Suns close enough to compete with the top-tier clubs in the Western Conference, they have a chance to finish as a top-six seed to avoid having the extra stress of the play-in tournament.