Luke Kennard

Kennard has connected efficiently from deep throughout his career but reached new heights last season, leading the league with a 44.9 three-point percentage while knocking down 2.7 per game in an average of 27.2 minutes. From a fantasy standpoint, his shooting ability is his primary strength, performing well enough from beyond the arc, the field and the charity stripe to warrant consideration in leagues that include those percentages. Aside from a few small stints in the starting lineup, Kennard spent most of his time appearing off the bench. The Clippers dealt Eric Bledsoe to Portland last season but added John Wall to run the point, and Terance Mann emerged as a significant bench piece. Kawhi Leonard is also healthy after missing last season. While Kennard has done enough to secure a spot in the rotation again this year, it seems unlikely his role will grow much, barring many injuries.

When Kennard was acquired by the Clippers in November of 2020, there was concern that a move to a lesser role with a better team could dampen the considerable momentum he built with Detroit over the beginning part of his breakthrough 2019-2020 campaign. Those worries proved to be justified, as the 25-year-old saw a steep decline in minutes (to less than 20 per contest) and a consequent loss of rosterability in most fantasy formats. Playing time was the primary factor in Kennard's decline, as he actually set career-high marks in efficiency from three-point range (44.6 percent) and overall field-goal rate (47.6 percent). Competing alongside a pair of superstars in Kawhi Leonard and Paul George may have been a factor in what was widely viewed as a lack of decisiveness by Kennard last season, but it bears mentioning that even when Leonard went down in the playoffs, Kennard averaged less than five points per game. It remains to be seen if he'll be given a more significant role next season, though the addition of Eric Bledsoe and emergence of Terrance Mann along with the re-signing of Nicolas Batum make that scenario less likely. It's probably best to stay away from Kennard in fantasy drafts and just keep an eye on him as the season unfolds.

While knee tendinitis cost Kennard well over two months during the 2019-20 season, the campaign was anything but a washout for the third-year sharpshooter. The 24-year-old comfortably set new career highs in scoring (15.8 PPG) and assists (4.1 APG) while also establishing a new high-water mark in rebounds (3.5 per contest) and field-goal attempts (12.2 per game). Kennard once again was extremely impressive from distance, draining 39.9 percent of his 6.5 tries per game from three-point range. He also upped his efficiency from in front of the arc by sinking a career-high 49.1 percent of his two-point shots, a year after improving a rookie-season figure of 46.3 to 48.6. During the offseason, Kennard was traded from the lowly Pistons to the title-contending Clippers. With the Clippers, it seems like Kennard will slide into a sixth-man role and probably see minutes in the upper-20s. Given the surrounding talent on the team, he could also be in line for a slight reduction in usage. Since he's shown legitimate upside, fantasy managers could still take a late-round flier on him in standard leagues. Plus, Kawhi Leonard is expected to continue missing time due to rest, so Kennard could find himself in the starting five a fair amount.

After two seasons primarily coming off the bench, Kennard is poised to take on a starting role with the Pistons this season. He could take a step forward in his third season given more playing time, as Kennard has averaged just 21.4 minutes per contest in his career, starting only 19 games. He's proven to be a deep threat, draining 1.7 threes per game on 39.4 percent shooting from deep, and he recorded 15 games with at least three triples last season. His 15.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 2.7 threes per 36 minutes offer a lot of encouragement if an expanded role is available, but he will compete with fellow wings Markieff Morris, Tony Snell, Bruce Brown and Derrick Rose for minutes. Kennard provides steady shooting from the field, from long distance and from the foul line, but until he proves he can be a consistent scorer, his value lies in his three-point game, as he doesn't offer a lot on defense.

After being selected with the 12th overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, Kennard immediately jumped into a rotation role off the bench for the Pistons. His most notable contribution came as a deep ball threat, as Kennard hit 1.1 three-pointers per game while finishing with a superb 41.5 percent clip from outside. However, the 22-year-old also showed off the ability to create open looks for himself and act as a facilitator at times, so he wasn't simply just a floor spacer. Kennard finished his rookie season with averages of 7.6 points, 2.4 rebounds and 1.7 assists across 20.0 minutes. Considering his solid NBA debut, Kennard could be in line for an increased role during the upcoming campaign. He's certainly in consideration for a spot in the top unit, though it seems likely he'll remain in a bench role to start the year behind some combination of Reggie Bullock, Stanley Johnson and/or Glenn Robinson. Still, the Pistons have already stated their intention of getting the ball in Kennard's hands more often offensively and he's likely going to be asked to take on some ball-handling duties in the second unit. The Pistons reportedly wanted to have Kennard work at point guard during summer league before an injury ruled him out of the session, but it still gives a glimpse of what the staff may have planned for their young wing. He appears to have a bright future in the Association, but with a handful of other bodies on the wing making it hard for Kennard to get big minutes, he'll likely just be a three-point specialist for those in deeper leagues.

After just two seasons at Duke, Kennard entered the 2017 NBA Draft early after a standout sophomore campaign where he averaged 19.5 points, 5.1 rebounds and 2.5 assists across 35.5 minutes. The Pistons fell in love with the 6-foot-6 shooting guard and ended up taking him with the 12th overall pick, despite many experts believing he could fall to the back end of the first round. Kennard helped back up his selection with a solid showing in the Orlando Summer League, where he averaged 17.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.4 steals across 30.7 minutes. While he doesn't necessarily have the athleticism that teams look for in the NBA, Kennard's got a deadly stroke from beyond the arc, evidenced by his 43.8 percent clip from deep during his final year at Duke. That should provide the Pistons with another scoring threat, although Kennard will have to settle for a reserve role during his rookie year. The Pistons let Kentavious Caldwell-Pope go in free agency, but then traded for Avery Bradley, who should get the bulk of the work at shooting guard. Stanley Johnson is expected to be given more minutes at small forward despite playing some shooting guard in the past, which could allow Kennard to lock in a role as Bradley's backup. Either way, Kennard will be stuck in a bench role, which should make him nothing more than a role player. That will likely limit his overall upside as a Fantasy prospect, so temper expectations for the 21-year-old guard.