After so long that the free market has been open, the Grizzlies have finally got Kennard.
According to WOJ, the Grizzlies agreed to a one-year, $11 million contract extension with Kennard, in fact, the Grizzlies have always been interested in renewing his contract, but in order to save some money, they decided to hold off and rejected his $14.8 million team option for the 24-25 season.
After trading Zaire Williams, the Grizzlies had enough salary space, so they returned to negotiate a contract extension with Kennard, and the negotiations between the two sides were finally completed, although the process was a bit of a toss-up, but for the Grizzlies, it was definitely worth it because they didn't have to pay the luxury tax, and they saved $3.76 million back and forth.
Kennard played in 39 games for the Grizzlies last season, averaging 11 points, 2.9 rebounds and 3.5 assists in 25.6 minutes per game while shooting 44.8%/45%/88.9% from three. Ranks second in the league in three-point shooting, behind Grayson Allen's 46.1 percent.
In addition, he averages 2.7 three-pointers per game, which is very valuable for the Grizzlies, who are shooting just 34.6% from three-point range, the second-lowest in the league.
Outside projection is Kennard's skill, and it is also the foundation of his ability to gain a foothold in the NBA, but the defense is not good, Kennard is the type of player who is strong in offense and weak in defense.
On top of that, his attendance is also very mediocre, especially in the last three seasons, playing 35, 24 and 39 games respectively, with an attendance rate of just 39.8%.
Although he has a good shooting ability, he has no defense and his attendance is not guaranteed, which is why he only got an $11 million contract in free agency.
Kennard was drafted by the Pistons with the 12th pick in the first round in 2017 and has played in 395 games in his seven-year career, including 110 starts. In 23.5 minutes of playing time, he averaged 10 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game while shooting 45.4%/43.9%/87.9% from three.
He played in 24 playoff games, averaging 7.5 points, 2.1 rebounds and 0.9 assists in 19.1 minutes per game, shooting 48.9%/46.3%/83.3% from three.
In his entire career so far, his shooting percentage from beyond the three-point line has only been below 40% in one season, and it has to be said that Kennard's three-point shooting rate is indeed accurate.
Born on June 24, 1996, Kennard is 28 years old and has a chance to sign a long-term contract if he stays healthy next season. For the Grizzlies, there were so many things that happened last season, especially the injury problems, which caused their record to plummet, and in the end they only finished with a 27-55 record, ranking third from the bottom in the West, and you must know that they have won 50+ consecutive games in the past two seasons.
But that's a thing of the past, and as long as they can keep their roster intact next season, they can still make a comeback, and it can be expected that the West will be even wilder next season, so wait and see.