At this year's trade deadline, the Spurs had the ammo to address the need for three-point shooting. One potential target that was up for grabs was former Atlanta Hawk Luke Kennard. Despite having everything they needed to get him, General Manager Brian Wright stayed dormant and left the trade deadline empty-handed.
Now, Kennard is absolutely balling out in Los Angeles. The Lakers acquired Luke Kennard for pennies on the dollar. Sending out Gabe Vincent and a 2032 second-round pick, Los Angeles basically picked up the sniper for free.
For a Spurs team needing a jolt from beyond the arc, they could have made this same move, sending off either Jeremy Sochan or Kelly Olynyk along with draft capital. The Alamo City should definitely be regretting its silence.
Luke Kennard is off to a legendary start in the playoffs for Lakers
Through two games in the Lakers' first-round series versus the Houston Rockets, Luke Kennard is showing out. The veteran is completely outperforming his contract, expectations, and the trade package that was sent out for him.
After averaging only nine points per game for the Lakers in the regular season, Kennard has put up 27 and 23 points in games one and two, respectively. His offensive explosion has helped propel the Lakers to back-to-back victories despite the absence of Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.
In this series, Kennard has become more than just a great shooter. He has been taking guys off the dribble, showing unforeseen passing chops and finishing around the rim. It has truly been a sight to see.
While his performance is certainly a surprise, anyone who has watched Kennard over the years knew that he had this in him. Throughout his career, he has been a walking bucket waiting for opportunity. Now, he is finally getting it. Unfortunately, the Spurs didn't have this kind of foresight.
Luke Kennard would greatly help the Spurs right now
While I can't say for sure that Kennard would have this kind of impact in San Antonio, I know he would definitely help. With Harrison Barnes struggling and the Spurs not having a ton of three-point juice, Luke would make a real impact.
In game two, the Spurs made only seven three-pointers. Now imagine if Luke Kennard were out there. By himself, he could have tacked on three or four of his own. The Spurs have had zero three-point production from the bench through the first two games, making the breakout hero a perfect fit.
Knowing that Kennard could have been had for a bag of chips and soda, General Manager Brian Wright should be kicking himself. It was clear as day that the Spurs needed some extra heat off the bench, yet Wright did nothing. While we commend the savvy GM for his excellent job forming this team, missing out on Luke was a major mistake.