Luke Kennard is drawing attention as a minimum-contract target for the Denver Nuggets, and the reason is simple: he shot 47.8% from three in 2025-26. That would change the math of Denver’s bench minutes around Nikola Jokic.
Denver Nuggets Bench Math
The fit starts with efficiency. The Nuggets are expected to look for bargain free agents this offseason, and last year they used one-year minimum deals on Tim Hardaway Jr. and Bruce Brown. Kennard fits that same lane: low cost, role-specific offense, and a skill set built around open looks.
Jokic already helps create those looks by finding shooters beyond the arc. Denver led the league in three-point shooting percentage, so Kennard would not be asked to reinvent the offense. He would be asked to hit the shot that the offense already generates.
Kennard Versus Denver Options
The tradeoff is clear. Kennard would be a small downgrade on defense from Keon Ellis or Brown, but the shooting gain is much larger. He is a selective shooter who thrives on clean catch-and-shoot chances, and that profile matches a team that finished at the top of the league from deep.
The numbers back the case. Jamal Murray led the Nuggets at 43.5%, Cameron Johnson followed at 43.0%, and Kennard’s 47.8% put him above that level. He has led the league in three-point percentage multiple times, which gives Denver a bench shooter with a track record rather than a one-year spike.
Luke Kennard Ceiling
Kennard also brings a résumé that goes beyond one hot season. He finished fifth in Sixth Man of the Year Award voting in 2021-22 with the Los Angeles Clippers, and he has averaged 9.6 points largely off the bench in his career. That history points to a player who can slide into second-unit minutes without needing touches to stay productive.
The open question is whether Denver turns that fit into a deal. Kennard could carry a higher ceiling there than he had with the Atlanta Hawks or the Los Angeles Lakers last season, but the move only happens if the Nuggets decide his shooting is worth the defensive tradeoff and the minimum-contract price.
