Nick Crain | 2/11/23

The NBA trade deadline is always one of the most pivotal points in the entire year. Each season players are moved across the league, with each passing year being more active than the last with player mobility reaching an all-time high.

One of the more impactful trades of the recent window was Luke Kennard being sent from the LA Clippers to the Memphis Grizzlies in a three-team deal. The 26-year-old former lottery pick is a legitimate difference maker as a floor spacer on the perimeter. Over the previous three seasons, Kennard has converted on 44.8% of his triples at a high volume.

Memphis was already a contender, but will be even more so now. At 34-21, the Grizzlies are second in the Western Conference and are better now than they were last week.

With that in mind, fit is everything. On paper, Kennard would obviously be a huge help for Memphis with all of the value he provides. However, synergy on a roster and fitting in with the other 14 players on the roster is key. This fit is something that’s difficult to predict, but ProFitX is able to help.

Leveraging the advanced models within the Athledex, we can quickly see how Kennard is projected to fit on his new team and which individual teammates he could have the most synergy with.

Interestingly enough, Kennard actually projects to fit best with players in the frontcourt, including three of the Grizzlies’ most prominent bigs.

On the offensive end, ProFitX models predict that his will make more of an impact than he did with Clippers, especially as an attacker. From an interior scoring standpoint and attacking the rim, Kennard could truly be a catalyst for the Memphis offense.

Defensively, he’s also projected to be better in Memphis than in Los Angeles. This could be due to the rim protection that the Grizzlies have, most notably from Jaren Jackson Jr. in the paint. Jackson Jr. being one of the best defenders in the league will allow Kennard to defend differently knowing he has Jackson Jr. behind him as a secondary defense layer.

Finally, the expectation is that Kennard will be a better playmaker overall. His assist numbers are down this season, but he produced 2.1 per game during the 2021-22 campaign. He’s got a ton of underrated upside as a passer, which he proved his final season in Detroit when he dished out 4.1 assists per game. In a new role in a different system with the Grizzlies, that facilitation and playmaking could be showcased more often.

Overall, the Athledex projects Kennard to only improve and make more of an impact in all aspects of the game in his new situation. As such, this could end up being the type of trade that allows the Grizzlies to make a deep postseason push.