The Los Angeles Lakers are coming off of one of their most egregious losses of the 2025-26 NBA regular season. Vital flaws were exposed during a 113-110 loss to the rival Phoenix Suns, as Los Angeles' lackluster three-point shooting and perimeter defense were placed under the microscope.
The Lakers shot a commendable 37.9 percent from beyond the arc, but also proved that their trade deadline acquisition of Luke Kennard was woefully insufficient.
Kennard is a fine player who leads the NBA in three-point field goal percentage in 2025-26. Unfortunately, he's also become something of a non-shooter since joining the Lakers, attempting just 2.1 three-point field goals per game.
That reared its head against the Suns, when Kennard attempted just one three-point field goal despite playing 21 minutes and taking six shots overall.
It was a contributing factor to Phoenix doubling up Los Angeles in three-point field goals made, 22 to 11, during a three-point win. To make matters worse, the Lakers were nearly doubled in attempts, as well, as the Suns attempted 50 threes to the purple and gold's 29.
By no means should the Lakers be aspiring to attempt 50 threes per game, but their inability to keep pace posed a critical question: What exactly was the point of the Kennard trade?
If Luke Kennard isn't shooting or defending 3s, Lakers need an upgrade
The Lakers gave up Gabe Vincent and their last remaining second-round draft pick to acquire Kennard at the deadline. The instant thought was that the Lakers would be addressing the fact that they rank in the bottom half of the NBA in three-point field goals made and percentage.
Instead, Kennard has moved away from the very shot that's defined his reputation and predominantly operated within the arc as a Laker.
It's not necessarily a bad development, but it certainly poses questions the Lakers are struggling to answer. For instance: If he wasn't brought in to space the floor and he's known to be a subpar defender, then what difference did the Lakers hope he would make?
Furthermore, if Dalton Knecht has been benched for being a lackluster defender and more of a scorer than a pure shooter, then why is Kennard being forgiven for having the same player profile?
Lakers routinely lose the three-point shooting battle
This all adds up to a simple conclusion: The Lakers must utilize the 2026 offseason to find the 3-and-D wings they need. They not only rank No. 23 in three-point field goals made, but No. 19 in three-point field goals allowed per game.
Consistently losing in the three-point shooting arena has created an uphill battle that the Lakers may not be able to overcome in 2025-26.
Perhaps Kennard is simply taking his time as he acclimates to a new environment. One simply can't help but notice that the Lakers gave up an expiring contract and a draft pick to land him, and he's not doing the one thing they need most from him.
There's still time to turn things around, but the Lakers can't possibly ignore the need for 3-and-D wings at the NBA Draft or in free agency.