The Atlanta Hawks' historic run to close out the 2025-26 regular season was certainly not an overnight ordeal, but if there were any moment to signify their identity shift, it just might've been their trade with the Lakers back on February 5th. They sent Luke Kennard to Los Angeles in exchange for Gabe Vincent and a future second-round pick.
At the time, this deal flew under the radar, and understandably so. After all, Kennard's tenure with the Hawks only lasted 46 games. His departure from the organization wasn't met with much public outcry.
However, since joining the Lakers, both teams began to flourish. Now that the offseason is here, they're each left in better positions than they seemingly were before the transaction.
Luke Kennard ended the season with historic numbers
While the Atlanta Hawks were 21-9 down the stretch in lieu of Kennard's departure, he was quietly putting up one of the greatest shooting seasons the league has ever seen. In addition to his 44.8% three-point percentage, Kennard ended the season with a shot quality percentage in the 95th percentile, leading the entire NBA.
Not only did he lead the league in this category, but Kennard was also just the second person outside of Stephen Curry to qualify for this metric since 2013. With both teams' 2025-26 campaign finished, we now see how much this trade has benefited both teams for the foreseeable future.
For the Lakers, the appeal was more obvious to them than other teams perhaps realized. His play style reflected JJ Redick's offensive system to a tee, and their acquisition of Kennard instantly boosted their half-court offense.
For the Atlanta Hawks, on the other hand, they seemingly got better by shipping him off. With Kennard's shooting production out of the equation, the Hawks were forced to create more clarity within their offensive system. This inadvertently allowed the offense to be less crowded, which ultimately aided the team in finding late-season success.
Now, the real test is here for both teams: will they be able to build off of this momentum into the offseason, or was the ending of last year merely a fluke for both organizations?
The Hawks must prove that their end-of-season heroics were not fueled simply by urgency, but by identity. If Atlanta is able to build around their core and carry this same cohesion into next season, the final months of last season could become the new norm for this franchise.
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