Grading Suns' Free Agent Signing of Luke Kennard

The Phoenix Suns left a massive need in terms of 3-point shooting when they traded away Grayson Allen and Royce O'Neale for Miles Bridges over the weekend.

Luckily for the Suns, the trade freed up just enough money for Phoenix to agree to a two-year, $13 million contract that includes a player option for the second season with statistically one of the best shooters in NBA history in Luke Kennard, who led the league with a 47.8% 3-point percentage last season.

Phoenix is going to need Kennard to up his volume from 3-point range (only 3.1 attempts per game last season), but the Suns could not ask for a much better value contract.

Grading Suns' Deal With Luke Kennard

Kennard does not fully make up for the absence of Allen, who shot 8.9 3-pointers per game last season, but does add a ton of spacing to the second unit behind Devin Booker, Jalen Green and Dillon Brooks.

He could end up having a more similar role to O'Neale on offense than Allen as a spot-up 3-point shooter, although he figures to be active off the ball and handle the ball a bit more than O'Neale, which the Suns have an expectation for everyone to do with how much movement they have offensively.

The freedom that coach Jordan Ott gave everyone on offense in his first season allowed for career years from Dillon Brooks, Allen, Collin Gillespie, O'Neale, Jordan Goodwin and Jamaree Bouyea, so the Suns will hope Kennard can buy in to this style of play and uptick his shooting volume a decent amount.

Gillespie, who set Phoenix's franchise record for 3-pointers made in a season last year, and Kennard will be Phoenix's two top offensive options off the bench and could make for a lethal 3-point shooting duo if they both show more consistency next season.