The Hawks continued their deadline overhaul Tuesday, turning Luke Kennard into added flexibility as their roster reset accelerates.
The Atlanta Hawks agreed to trade Luke Kennard to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for guard Gabe Vincent and a 2032 second-round pick, sources confirmed to HawksRoundtable. The deal furthers Atlanta’s emphasis on flexibility and long-term optionality ahead of the trade deadline.
While the transaction brings Vincent into the fold, the more significant outcome for Atlanta comes behind the scenes. Vincent will be absorbed into the traded player exception created in the Bogdan Bogdanović deal, allowing the Hawks to take on his contract without sending salary back to Los Angeles.
That structure enables Atlanta to move Kennard’s $11 million contract off the books for no incoming salary, creating a new traded player exception worth approximately $11 million that can be deployed in a future transaction.
Kennard, who signed a one-year, $11 million deal last offseason, had become increasingly expendable as Atlanta reshaped its roster. He averaged 7.9 points in 20.5 minutes per game while shooting 49.7 percent from three across 46 appearances, but his role diminished as the Hawks pivoted toward younger pieces and financial flexibility.
Vincent arrives as a low-risk option. The veteran guard appeared in 28 games this season, averaging 4.9 points while shooting 35.4 percent from the field. He is set to become a free agent this summer, preserving Atlanta’s cap optionality beyond the current season.
The move is the latest in a flurry of deadline activity that has dramatically altered the Hawks’ roster over the past month. Atlanta’s reset began Jan. 9, when it sent Trae Young to Washington in a franchise-altering trade that returned C.J. McCollum and Corey Kispert, signaling a clear shift away from its long-standing core.
That pivot accelerated on Feb. 4, when Atlanta dealt Kristaps Porziņģis to Golden State in exchange for Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield. The addition of Kuminga reshaped the Hawks’ wing rotation and reduced the need to retain a veteran shooter on an expiring contract, making Kennard a logical piece to move.
Earlier this week, Atlanta also traded Vít Krejčí to Portland, acquiring Duop Reath and two future second-round picks. Reath was subsequently waived as the Hawks trimmed the roster to the league-mandated 15 players, leaving the draft compensation as the lasting return from the deal. The Hawks also added frontcourt depth by acquiring Jock Landale in a three-team transaction for cash considerations.
Taken together, the Kennard deal fits squarely into Atlanta’s broader deadline approach: converting short-term contracts into flexibility, preserving future assets, and keeping optionality open well beyond this season. With multiple traded player exceptions now available, the Hawks remain positioned to stay active — whether before the deadline or in the months that follow.