Duke basketball guard Luke Kennard Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

Two-Year Duke Basketball Sharpshooter Now Heading to Atlanta

Originally posted on Duke Blue Devils on SI
By Matt Giles | Last updated Jul 1, 2025 9:57 AM ET

Less than a week after Luke Kennard celebrated his 29th birthday, the southpaw Duke basketball pro has decided to join the Atlanta Hawks for what will be his ninth season in the NBA.

According to a report from ESPN's Shams Charania on Monday night, the sharpshooting free agent "agreed to a one-year, $11 million deal" with the Hawks.

Kennard will become a teammate to another NBA Blue Devil in 2020-21 one-and-done forward and emerging Hawks star Jalen Johnson. Plus, as the Duke basketball social media team pointed out in the following post, Atlanta also enjoys a former Blue Devil guard as its head coach, Quin Snyder, in addition to the fact that the franchise's ownership group features Blue Devil legend Grant Hill.

Sounds like the @ATLHawks are about to have:

*Two former Duke players in the lineup

*Former Duke player as head coach

*Former Duke player in the ownership group pic.twitter.com/Eso8Ls8JHQ
— Duke Men’s Basketball (@DukeMBB) July 1, 2025

Currently the NBA's active career leader in 3-point percentage at 43.8 percent, Luke Kennard has finished among the top 10 in that category in each of his past five campaigns. He led the league in 3-point percentage in 2021-22 and 2022-23 while suiting up for the Memphis Grizzlies.

Thus far, Kennard has been a member of three NBA franchises, as the 2017 lottery pick began his pro career with the Detroit Pistons before spending two and a half seasons apiece with the Los Angeles Clippers and, most recently, the Grizzlies.

He's averaged 8.9 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 3.3 assists for his career in the league.

This article first appeared on Duke Blue Devils on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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