Luke Kennard reportedly wants to sign a long-term contract with the Los Angeles Lakers. That much has been declared after he made $11 million on a one-year deal in 2025-26. Thankfully, just when it seemed as though a Jarred Vanderbilt mistake would be repeated, Collin Gillespie saved the day.
GIllespie is reportedly planning to sign a four-year, $48 million contract with the Phoenix Suns once the NBA moratorium is lifted on July 6. In a salary-capped league, the Lakers thus have a number they can refuse to reach in negotiations with Kennard.
Free agent guard Collin Gillespie intends to sign a four-year, $48 million deal to return to the Phoenix Suns, sources tell ESPN. Gillespie spent three straight seasons on two-way contracts after going undrafted out of Villanova in 2022 and now earns a lucrative long-term deal. pic.twitter.com/HIBFG0dDMU
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 20, 2026
If Gillespie's contract structure sounds familiar, it's because it's identical to the extension that Los Angeles signed Vanderbilt to. Vanderbilt still has two seasons left on his deal, which is consuming eight figures worth of cap space despite the fact that he barely cleared 10 minutes per game during the 2026 NBA Playoffs.
Gillespie, meanwhile, appeared in 80 games for the Suns, starting 58, and averaged 28.5 minutes per game for Phoenix during the playoffs.
Kennard has a postseason feather in his cap having started the Houston Rockets series in remarkable form. That could convince Los Angeles to honor his request for a long-term deal, much as they offered Vanderbilt one after he stepped up during the 2023 NBA Playoffs.
Thankfully, Gillespie's contract is proof that the Lakers can't pay Kennard anywhere near four years and $48 million if they value the market as a basis for negotiating mutually beneficial deals.
Collin Gillespie's deal gives Lakers leverage in Luke Kennard negotiations
Gillespie and Kennard admittedly play different positions, which could cause readers to question how one situation applies to the other. There are similarities and differences between them, however, that Los Angeles can't overlook. For one, they're both among the most efficient shooters in the NBA.
In 2025-26, Gillespie averaged 3.7 three-point field goals made per 36 minutes on 40.1 percent shooting from beyond the arc. Kennard checked in at 2.5 on 47.8 percent shooting.
Kennard brings more to the table than just shooting, of course, as he can create offense for himself and others. The same is true about Gillespie, however, and he does so with more volume in virtually every phase of the game.
In 2025-26, Kennard averaged 14.0 points, 3.9 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.2 steals per 36 minutes. Gillespie checked in at 16.0 points, 5.2 rebounds, 5.9 assists, and 1.6 steals per 36.
Furthermore, Kennard's birthday is on June 24, while Gillespie's is on June 25. A strange coincidence. Kennard will be turning 30, while Gillespie will turn 27. Though players' age isn't quite as much of a determining factor of their quality as it once was, athletic declines still transpire.
As a younger player, better defender, more well-rounded playmaker, and even a higher volume three-point shooter, Gillespie has made it plain as day: The Lakers can't justify paying Kennard at a rate of four years and $48 million.
If nothing else, that gives Los Angeles a hard cap on where they're willing to meet Kennard in negotiations—a critical piece of leverage considering he made $11 million this past season.
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