Luke Kennard arrives in Phoenix with a very specific job description, and it could wind up creating a real puzzle for coach Jordan Ott.
The Suns did not bring him in to be a do-it-all wing. They brought him in because he can stretch the floor in a way almost nobody else can.
If that part of the bargain holds, he gives Phoenix a clean answer to one of its biggest problems. But there’s another layer here, and it’s the one that could push him from useful reserve into the starting five: Kennard has to become a more willing passer.
That’s the piece that changes everything.
A lot of people saw Kennard replacing Grayson Allen and figured it was a simple swap. It isn’t.
Allen brought more athleticism, better defense and more playmaking ability. He’s the one who will be missed in those areas.
Kennard is something different entirely - a pure 3-point threat, the kind of shooter who can bend a defense the second he catches it in rhythm.
The issue, as always with Kennard, is on the other end. He has been played off the floor before and targeted defensively.
That reality isn’t going away. But if he can lift his assists to around four a night, which would be a career high, the Suns may not be able to ignore him in a starting role.
That kind of jump would give Phoenix something it doesn’t fully have right now: a shooter who can also make the simple read and keep the ball moving. Imagine a player who has led the league in 3-point shooting before, but also knows when to give it up and create easy looks for teammates.
If Ott ever decides Kennard belongs with the starters, the ripple effects get interesting fast. Jalen Green would be the likeliest player to lose his spot.
Another option would be to send Miles Bridges to the bench and move Dillon Brooks to the four, which would help solve some of the spacing issues that are clearly hanging over this group. If Bridges were the one to sit, that would be a tough call because of his obvious offensive talent, but it would also give Devin Booker another secondary playmaker and take some pressure off him.
Green is not going to fill that creative role. Kennard can.
That’s the appeal. Phoenix would get a backcourt outlet who can keep the offense from bogging down, while still staying competitive on the defensive end because of Brooks and the true x-factor in Phoenix right now in Mark Williams.
The Suns do not need Kennard to become a different player overnight. He’s not turning into an average defender at 30, and that part of his profile is what it is.
What Phoenix needs is for him to do more than expected as a passer and connector. That would be enough to make him matter in a bigger way.
Over the last few seasons, the Suns have gotten big returns from role players like Collin Gillespie and Jordan Goodwin when those guys outperformed the script. Kennard has to be next if this move is going to be remembered as a success.
If he adds a new dimension to his game now, unexpectedly, at 30, that gives Phoenix another weapon every night and gives Ott something every coach wants and every coach hates: a selection headache.
A sixth-man role would still be a strong outcome. But if Kennard really starts moving the ball the way Phoenix needs, the Suns may have to think bigger.
Stranger things have happened.
In Other News...
Former Suns Finals Sparkplug May Be Drifting Out Of Phoenix Plans
With training camps getting closer, Cameron Payne still sits unsigned, and the former Suns sparkplug is looking at an uncertain NBA market after last playing for the Philadelphia 76ers. Phoenixs current backcourt picture makes a reunion increasingly unlikely, especially with the team choosing to evaluate younger guards and see who can carve out a larger role before the season begins.
Collin Gillespie, Jordan Goodwin and Jamaree Bouyea are all in the mix for those minutes, giving the Suns a different kind of guard competition than the one Payne would step into. For a player who once provided energy and playoff-shotmaking for Phoenix, the door does not appear completely shut around the league, but the path back to the Suns is getting harder to see. [Read more 🡒]
Suns Rotation Squeeze Puts Three Players In A Tough Spot
The Suns rotation picture is getting tighter, and the pressure is starting to show on a few familiar names. With new roster additions and more competition around the lineup, Ryan Dunn, Jamaree Bouyea and Jalen Green are all in line to see less floor time than they did before, which is never a comfortable place for players trying to carve out a steady role.
For Dunn, the squeeze goes beyond simply losing minutes, because his place in the long-term plan suddenly looks less secure as the season unfolds. Bouyea is expected to have a smaller part to play than he did a year ago, and Green, whose usage is already headed in the wrong direction, could wind up sliding even further down the pecking order if the minutes keep shrinking. [Read more 🡒]
Suns Front Office Faces Growing Heat Over Devin Booker Plan
The Suns keep living in the present, and that approach has become a defining part of how the franchise is viewed around the league. Sam Quinn of CBS Sports recently pointed to the organizations thin long-range planning and its habit of moving draft capital as reasons Phoenix has made itself harder to sustain over time, even while trying to stay competitive around Devin Booker, Miles Bridges and Dillon Brooks.
There have been bright spots, including some solid drafting and a few useful finds among lesser-known players, but the bigger concern is how little flexibility remains if the team needs to pivot. Phoenix has already pushed a lot of its future assets into the now, and the bill on that strategy is still waiting down the road. [Read more 🡒]