Luke Kennard has made 53.8% of his threes and has not turned the ball over in three games. At $6.1M he is the cheapest efficient scoring Phoenix has, and Jordan Ott should lean on it.
The heat check. Kennard's line over three games: 9.7 points in 15.6 minutes, 60.0% from the field, 53.8% on 4.3 three-point attempts a game, and perfect at the line. His true shooting sits at 86.5%. That is a hot sample, not a baseline, but no Suns player is shooting it cleaner.
Zero giveaways. He averages 0.0 turnovers with a 14.5% usage rate and a 13.5% assist rate. He is not running the offense. He is finishing it. Against Denver, Devin Booker gave it away four times, so a role player who never wastes a trip is worth a lot.
Plus in a minus. Phoenix carries a 125.8 defensive rating and a -11.5 net. With Kennard on the floor the net rating is 16.5, built on a 134.0 offensive rating and a 117.5 defensive mark. Against Denver he was +7 in 12 minutes. Only Collin Gillespie's +8 was better among the Suns.
Twelve minutes against Denver. In the 127-120 Cup loss he scored 9 on 2-of-4 shooting, hit one of three from deep and went 4-for-4 at the line. The bench produced 43 points. He still was not in the group Ott used over the last five minutes: Gillespie, Booker, Jordan Goodwin, Miles Bridges and Oso Ighodaro.
The knee and the bill. A left knee issue had him day-to-day on October 15 and out on October 21, the night of the Portland loss. He was cleared on October 24 and is not on the injury report now. He earns $6.1M this season and holds a $6.4M player option for 2027-28, small money on a $213.8M payroll.
Where he fits. Valley of the Suns wrote that Ott is settling on a 10-man rotation with clear defensive limitations. Defense is a hard reason to bench Kennard, though: his 117.5 defensive rating beats the team's 125.8. His spacing is something this offense cannot afford to leave on the bench.
The verdict. Kennard has to become the shooter Ott trusts in a tight fourth quarter, not a 12-minute spark. Three games is a short sample and the three-point rate will cool. If the turnovers stay near zero and the threes keep falling, he earns closing minutes for a team sitting 1-3 and 11th in the West.
Is Luke Kennard injured?
No. He was cleared from a left knee issue on October 24 and is not on the injury report.
How much is Luke Kennard paid by the Suns?
He earns $6.1M in 2026-27 and has a $6.4M player option for 2027-28.
