At 20-41, the Memphis Grizzlies may no longer be playing for a postseason berth or even a Play-In Tournament slot but this is not to say that these final 21 games of the regular season don't hold any weight or meaning.
From an individual perspective, this is far from being the case, as there are a number of players who will be looking to use the coming two months of action to either better their odds of a lucrative new payday elsewhere or make the claim that they can serve as consistent cogs in Taylor Jenkins' rotation beyond this season.
For veteran Luke Kennard, it is believed that his drive should be more geared toward the latter goal, as Locked on Grizzlies analyst Joe Mullinax noted in a recent episode of the podcast that, though he may be under contract through 2024-25, this does not guarantee he'll remain in tow beyond this year.
Luke Kennard 'my not be' with Memphis Grizzlies 'long-term'
"Luke Kennard, brother, you may not be here long-term. You've got a $14 million a year, essentially, team option sitting on you this summer. You better remind people, because there are folks that forget... I need you to put the ball in the bucket from range numerous times and I need you to not get out-shot by guys that are not going to be on this roster potentially in two weeks... Make some shots. Take some shots. We talk about gravity and being one of the top ten or so three-point shooters ever. I've got you at number ten, Luke. You've gotta shoot the ball. "Joe Mullinax
3 piece. pic.twitter.com/BtEMKq1gCh
— Memphis Grizzlies (@memgrizz) February 27, 2024
While the all-time debate is certainly something people can question, when it comes to his place within today's game it goes without saying that Kennard is one of the most lethal long-range shooters in the NBA.
A career 43.8 percent sniper from distance, since arriving in Memphis at last year's teade deadline the shooting guard has bumped his average up to a whopping 48.9 percent on 5.8 attempts per night.
Unfortunately, even with the bevy of key player absences, the veteran hasn't managed to expand his game or improve upon his scoring numbers despite the presumed increase in opportunities, as he's posting just 10.5 points on a mere 7.5 attempts.
This type of activity and productivity attached to a lucrative total salary of $29.5 million between this season and next has him soundly in the over-priced conversation and, in turn, at risk of being moved on from this coming summer considering the Grizzlies have a club option for his services.
During these final 21 games, it's imperative for Kennard to show out, otherwise, he may be playing out his final days in the 38103.