The Los Angeles Lakers have acquired guard Luke Kennard from the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for guard Gabe Vincent and a 2032 second-round pick, the team announced on Thursday night.
Kennard is shooting a career-best 49.7% from 3-point range this season, giving the Lakers a sharpshooter on the wings for Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves and LeBron James.
The Lakers rank 22nd in team 3-point percentage this season, connecting on just 34.8% of their shots from the outside. A Lakers source told ESPN's Dave McMenamin that Kennard is a "laser" -- the organization's terminology for sharpshooters -- that can benefit from open looks generated by Doncic, Reaves and James.
The Hawks land a veteran guard, create an $11 million trade exception and pick up a draft asset.
Kennard, 29, is a career 44.2% shooter from 3-point range. He's averaging 7.9 points in 46 games this season, his ninth in the NBA.
Vincent, 29, is averaging 4.8 points this season, his seventh in the league.
Though the Lakers will continue to explore roster improvements heading toward the trade deadline, any further moves the team will pursue will come with the caveat of prioritizing the ability to maintain its projected $60 million in cap space this summer, sources told McMenamin.
