The Atlanta Hawks traded Luke Kennard to the Lakers for Gabe Vincent before the February deadline, which, by itself, would've been a terrible deal, but they also got a second-round pick (and even then, it's not like it was some major trade). As expected, the team didn't re-sign the guard this summer in free agency, and with training camp just around the corner, he's still available.
Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reported earlier this week that the Heat hadn't made an offer to Vincent, even after he worked out for the Knicks, and New York signed a list of veterans that didn't include him.
Miami could still bring Vincent in on a training camp deal, but the fact that it hasn't happened yet is telling. If the Heat don't think he's worthy of another shot, which team should?
Hawks got something out of Kennard-Vincent trade
Atlanta's decision to trade Kennard signaled that he wasn't in the team's offseason plans, since he was an unrestricted free agent. Rather than watch him walk for nothing, the Hawks at least got a second-round pick, knowing Vincent likely wouldn't stick around, either.
The Lakers initially looked like the winners of the trade, with Kennard averaging 9.0 points per game in 23 minutes across 32 contests to end the regular season, shooting 44.8% from three on 3.0 attempts.
With Los Angeles shorthanded in the playoffs, down Luka Dončić and without Austin Reaves, who returned at the end of the first round, Kennard helped the Lakers make it past the Rockets in the first round. It seemed like LA would bring him back in free agency, but the front office let him walk to Phoenix, as he signed a two-year, $13 million deal with the Suns.
It was better for the Lakers, at least, to have Kennard for the second half of the season than Vincent, which could justify the trade for LA, but Atlanta has something to show for it, while Los Angeles doesn't.
With the Hawks not trying to make a playoff push, especially not after trading Trae Young, they decided to trade Kennard, knowing he wasn't part of their long-term core, generating an $11 million trade exception in the process. Between that and the second-round pick, it was a wise move, even though it meant taking on Vincent, whose value has plummeted since he signed with LA in 2023.
Even if Vincent remains unsigned into the start of the season, the Hawks have no reason to feel bad about the trade, as Onsi Saleh saw the bigger picture.
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