Phoenix Suns 2026-27 Player Profile: Luke Kennard

Less than two weeks remain until the Phoenix Suns open up the ramp-up into the 2026-27 season. 

While Phoenix is bringing back the same squad for the most part, there are a small handful of newcomers. This includes incoming shooting guard Luke Kennard, who is heading to Phoenix with a central purpose in mind.

The Suns need the sharpshooter to fill a void left behind by two key departures over the offseason, while also fitting into head coach Jordan Ott's ultimate vision for his roster.

Follow what to expect from Kennard in the season above, an area he must execute in, and a key storyline that follows the first-year Sun in the months ahead below.

What is Reasonable Expectation for Kennard This Season?

Kennard is very likely to be a core piece of Phoenix's rotation this season.

The 6'5" guard has only averaged less than 20 minutes per game in one season during his pro career, while also posting an average of nearly 10 points per contest. 

Ultimately, the reasonable route to take expectation-wise is a scoring average in that range, while also providing serviceable defense, three-point marksmanship, and tertiary playmaking.

What Avenue Kennard Needs to Improve in

There's a couple of areas that the Duke product needs to improve in.

One is the defensive side of the ball, where the 30-year-old is below average in many metrics (Crafted NBA).

The Ohio native doesn't need to transform into an all-world defender day one, he simply has to fit in with the above-average personnel that is in now in Phoenix. 

The other area is creation. While Kennard isn't necessarily weak in this department, being able to take on more on-ball reps will only increase the versatility and variety from within the offense.

Will Kennard be Able to Make Up Three-Point Gap?

The losses of G Grayson Allen and F Royce O'Neale are seen as a big deal at the moment. While the two are now on the wrong side of 30, they are also among the best volume shooters in the league. 

While Kennard is an exceptional shooter, his volume has never been extremely high. Just how much runway will Kennard be given? Will he adapt to a more substantial role? There are many questions that need to be answered, and time will tell if this addition is a strong one.

Kennard is opening up his Phoenix tenure with a preseason game on Oct. 5.