The Atlanta Hawks retooled their roster this offseason, including signing Luke Kennard to a one-year, $11 million deal. Kennard gives the Hawks a sharpshooter off the bench. Not only that, but Sam Vecenie of The Athletic recently dubbed the 29-year-old the best shooter in the league off the catch.
Vecenie and Es Baraheni recapped the offseason on the Game Theory Podcast. He pointed out that Kennard shot 45% from three the past five seasons, which Vecenie said is "completely bonkers." He referred to Kennard as a "ridiculous shooter."
Kennard has never shot below 39.4% from three since he entered the league in 2017. Over the past five seasons, he's shot above 43% from three. He's a career 43.8% shooter from deep on an average of 4.5 attempts per game.
To Vecenie's point, Kennard shot 46.9% this past season off catch-and-shoot threes on an average of three attempts per game.
Atlanta shot 35.8% from three in 2024-25 (18th in the league) on an average of 37.7 attempts per game (15th in the league). The Hawks addressed their need for three-point shooting this summer (not just by signing Kennard), exceeding expectations by stringing together one of the best offseasons in the NBA.
Kennard is more than a shooter, too. Over the past two seasons, he averaged more than three assists per game (3.5 in 2023-24 and 3.3 in 2024-25). He'll get open looks while finding some for his new teammates.
Luke Kennard could be in for a big season with the Hawks
As Vecenie noted, having Kennard and Trae Young on the floor together wouldn't work well because of their defensive weaknesses. He said that he expects Kennard to play with NAW, a strong perimeter defender, off the bench, assuming that the latter isn't in the starting lineup.
Kennard is primed to have a big season in Atlanta, part of what could (should) be a season that ends in a playoff berth for the Hawks. The organization's offseason moves complement Young and could be what pushes Atlanta to return to the ECF, particularly at a time when the East is at its weakest.
Even though Kennard will play a reserve role, that doesn't minimize the impact he can make. He's been one of the best shooters in the league the past few years. Why won't that trend continue in Atlanta? He has some extra motivation playing on a one-year deal, too.
Hawks fans won't get tired of watching Kennard knock down threes next season. Is it October yet?