Kennard notched eight points (3-5 FG, 2-3 3Pt, 0-1 FT), three rebounds and four assists over 26 minutes during Sunday's 105-90 win over the Nuggets.
Desmond Bane is healthy again, while Marcus Smart missed Sunday's game due to an illness. Ja Morant (ankle) remains week-to-week, meaning Kennard will have the opportunity to provide some streaming appeal in deeper formats. Over his last six appearances, Kennard has averaged 7.0 points, 4.0 assists, 2.7 rebounds and 1.8 three-pointers in 20.2 minutes.
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Grizzlies' Luke Kennard: Held under 20 minutes in debut
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Kennard (foot) logged 18 minutes and finished with six points (2-4 FG, 1-2 3Pt, 1-2 FT), two assists and one rebound in Wednesday's 131-114 win over the Lakers.
Sidelined for the Grizzlies' first eight contests of the season with a left foot muscle strain, Kennard made enough progress in his recovery to make his 2024-25 debut Wednesday. He handled a light role off the bench against the Lakers, but his minutes could pick up in the games to come while the Grizzlies are without starting wings Desmond Bane (oblique) and Marcus Smart (ankle) for the foreseeable future. Santi Aldama and rookie second-round pick Jaylen Wells are currently filling in on the top unit, but if the Grizzlies want to prioritize floor spacing, opening up more playing time for Kennard -- a career 43.9 percent three-point shooter -- could help achieve that.
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Grizzlies' Luke Kennard: Set for season debut Wednesday
Rotowire
Kennard (foot) is available for Wednesday's game against the Lakers.
Kennard was deemed a game-time call for this matchup, but the three-point specialist will give it a go and should see minutes off the bench in his first taste of action this season. Kennard shot 45 percent from three-point range across 39 regular-season appearances in 2023-24.
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Grizzlies' Luke Kennard: Iffy against Lakers
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Kennard (foot) is listed as questionable for Wednesday's game versus the Lakers.
Kennard has yet to make his season debut while dealing with a strained left foot. However, Kennard receiving a questionable tag instead of immediately being ruled out is a good sign that he is nearing a return to action.
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Grizzlies' Luke Kennard: Remains out Monday
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Kennard (foot) has been ruled out for Monday's game against the Nets.
Kennard has yet to make his debut in the 2024-25 campaign due to a strained muscle in his left foot. However, the 28-year-old was a full participant in practice Tuesday, and he seems to be ramping up for a return to game action as soon as Wednesday against the Lakers.
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Grizzlies' Luke Kennard: Practices, but remains out
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Kennard (foot) was a full participant in Tuesday's practice, but coach Taylor Jenkins said the sharpshooter will need to build up over the next week, Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal reports.
Kennard has yet to make his regular-season debut due to foot soreness, but he's getting closer to game action. It sounds like all Kennard needs to do is build up his conditioning, but that may take some time after being sidelined for multiple weeks.
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Grizzlies' Luke Kennard: Remains out for Monday
Rotowire
Kennard (foot) won't play in Monday's game against the Bulls.
Head coach Taylor Jenkins stated ahead of the team's season opener that Kennard would miss the first week of the season, so it doesn't come as a surprise to see him out again. His next chance to suit up will come Wednesday against the Nets.
Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins said Monday that Kennard won't be available for at least the first week of the regular season, Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal reports.
Kennard can be safely ruled out for Wednesday's opener versus the Jazz as well as the Grizzlies' weekend back-to-back set Friday and Saturday versus the Rockets and Magic, respectively, while he recovers from foot soreness, which he suffered during a preseason contest last week. Of the five players the Grizzlies have ruled out for the season opener, Kennard and Jaren Jackson (hamstring) look to be the closest to returning, but Kennard is still likely in line for a bench role behind starting wings Desmond Bane and Marcus Smart once he's cleared to debut.
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Grizzlies' Luke Kennard: Battling foot soreness
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Kennard is dealing with foot soreness suffered in Monday's preseason game against Indiana, Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal reports.
Kennard has logged just 98 games across the last two seasons due to a myriad of injuries, so his preseason affliction is notable. Coach Taylor Jenkins noted that there is no timeline or formal diagnosis yet, but the 28-year-old is a candidate to "miss some time." His status will need to be monitored, while the shooting of rookies Cam Spencer and Jaylen Wells could become more pertinent to the end of Memphis' rotation.
Grizzlies' Luke Kennard: Signs one-year deal with Memphis
Rotowire
Kennard (knee) and the Grizzlies agreed to a one-year, $11 million deal Wednesday, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reports.
The Grizzlies allowed Kennard to hit free agency when they declined his team option June 29, but there was always mutual interest to get a new deal done. Kennard is a valuable floor spacer for the Grizzlies, especially when playing alongside Ja Morant and Desmond Bane. During the 2023-24 regular season, Kennard drained 45 percent of his three-point attempts. He did miss time at the end of the campaign with a troublesome left knee issue, and that will be an injury to monitor ahead of training camp.
The Grizzlies have declined Kennard's (knee) $14.8 million team option Saturday, but both sides are eager to strike a new deal in free agency, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reports.
Kennard put up a decent year, during which he averaged 11.0 points, 3.5 assists and 2.9 rebounds across 25.6 minutes in 39 regular-season games. The sharpshooter did what he does best in shooting 45.0 percent from three-point range in limited time due to injury. The Grizzlies will look to bring Kennard back and avoid the injury bug that plagued their club in the 2023-24 season.
