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
Rotowire
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
Rotowire
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
Rotowire
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
Rotowire
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.
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Grizzlies' Luke Kennard: Out for first week
Rotowire
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.
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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.
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Grizzlies' Luke Kennard: Memphis declines option
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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.
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Grizzlies' Luke Kennard: Out again Sunday
Rotowire
Kennard (knee) will not play Sunday against the Nuggets.
Kennard will miss his sixth game in a row Sunday, and that will be the end of his regular season. The sharpshooter had all sorts of problems with his left knee, limiting him to 39 total appearances. He finished the campaign with averages of 11.0 points, 3.5 assists, 2.9 rebounds and 2.0 three-pointers.
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Grizzlies' Luke Kennard: Out once again Friday
Rotowire
Kennard (knee) is out for Friday's game against the Lakers.
Kennard is set to miss a fifth consecutive game while recovering from a left knee injury, and with two games left on the schedule, don't be surprised if Memphis employs the same eight-man rotation the team has been using of late. It wouldn't be shocking if Kennard is also out for Sunday's season finale at home against the Nuggets.
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Grizzlies' Luke Kennard: Remains out Wednesday
Rotowire
Kennard (knee) won't play Wednesday against the Cavaliers.
Kennard will miss his fourth game in a row due to left knee injury recovery. He'll have just two more opportunities to play after Wednesday, but it wouldn't be shocking if the Grizzlies opted to shut down the veteran wing for good.
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Grizzlies' Luke Kennard: Out against San Antonio
Rotowire
Kennard (knee) has been ruled out for Tuesday's game against the Spurs.
Kennard will miss a third straight game due to left knee injury recovery. His next chance to suit up will come during the second half of Memphis' back-to-back set Wednesday in Cleveland, but Kennard can be considered questionable, at best, for that matchup.
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Grizzlies' Luke Kennard: Iffy against Philadelphia
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Kennard (knee) is listed as questionable for Saturday's game versus the 76ers.
Kennard is in danger of missing his second straight contest Saturday due to left knee soreness. With Memphis dealing with a long list of injuries, Kennard's potential absence could leave the Grizzlies incredibly thin in the backcourt.
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Grizzlies' Luke Kennard: Confirmed out for Friday
Rotowire
Kennard (knee) won't play Friday against the Pistons.
Kennard was considered doubtful heading into Friday's contest, so his absence for the front end of a back-to-back set comes as little surprise. He'll be one of 12 Grizzlies players ruled out Friday, so plenty of minutes should be up for grabs on the wing for depth players such as Jake LaRavia and Maozinha Pereira.
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Grizzlies' Luke Kennard: Hits five threes vs. Detroit
Rotowire
Kennard produced 19 points (7-14 FG, 5-11 3Pt), three rebounds, eight assists and one steal over 36 minutes during Monday's 110-108 victory over the Pistons.
After missing five games due to a personal matter, Kennard has played 30-plus minutes in each of his last two games. It was the sixth time the sharpshooter made at least five threes. As a starter this season, Kennard has averaged 13.5 points on 48.5 percent shooting (including 47.9 percent from three on 6.9 3PA/G), 3.1 rebounds and 4.3 assists over 28.4 minutes per game.
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Grizzlies' Luke Kennard: Starts, hands out five assists
Rotowire
Kennard (personal) recorded nine points (3-10 FG, 2-7 3Pt, 1-1 FT), five rebounds, five assists and one block in 30 minutes.
Though he missed the previous five games while tending to a personal matter, Kennard slotted back into the starting five Saturday and reached the 30-minute mark, despite the Magic turning the game into a runaway victory by the end of three quarters. Kennard didn't showcase his usual accurate touch from beyond the arc, but his outputs in the rebounds, assists and blocks categories exceeded his season-long averages. Assuming he's active in future games, Kennard should hold a key role for the injury-riddled Grizzlies, but it's unclear if he'll be a full-time starter. One of Kennard or Scotty Pippen will likely move to the bench if Desmond Bane (back) returns for Monday's game in Detroit.
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Grizzlies' Luke Kennard: Starting vs. Orlando
Rotowire
Kennard is in the starting lineup to face the Magic on Saturday.
Kennard will enter the starting lineup and replace Desmond Bane (back). The sharpshooter will stretch the floor on offense thanks to his elite 45.4 percent efficiency from three-point range this season.
