JJ Redick's Heartfelt Farewell to Gabe Vincent After Lakers Trade for Luke Kennard
JJ Redick and the Los Angeles Lakers made only one trade prior to Thursday’s deadline. They shipped off Gabe Vincent to the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for Luke Kennard . It was far from a landscape-shifting move for L.A., but it’s one that could have a relatively significant impact for the second half of the season.
The Lakers were in action on Thursday night. They defeated Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers , 119-115. After the game, Redick spoke to reporters to address the team’s trade deadline move. The second-year Lakers coach sent a heartfelt parting message for Vincent now that he has moved on.
Vincent’s time with the Lakers comes to an end after two-and-a-half seasons. The 29-year-old veteran made 29 appearances for L.A. in 2025-26, averaging 4.8 points, 1.3 rebounds and 1.3 3-pointers in 19.3 minutes per contest.
Redick had nothing but good things to say about the 6-foot-2 point guard.
“His teammates loved him," Redick said of Vincent. "His coaches loved him. Really just from a professionalism standpoint, just embodied everything that was good about this game. I do think the way he finished last season and the way he started preseason, we all felt like he was gonna really have a breakout year for us here.
"Unfortunately, just had a bunch of injuries. He’s a good player and an even better person. I’ve told Gabe this many times; we are grateful we got to work with him and be around him. And I told him that this morning as well. We are very appreciative of him.”
In exchange for Vincent, the Lakers received 6-foot-5 shooting guard Luke Kennard. Redick expressed his excitement about their new addition.
“He’s one of the best shooters in the NBA ,” Redick said of Kennard. “I’m going to highly encourage him to shoot more and not turn down shots.”
According to the Lakers coach, he has known Kennard for 12 years as both are alumni of the legendary Duke Blue Devils program. Redick knows exactly what the 29-year-old’s strengths are, and he fully intends on utilizing them at the soonest possible time.
The Lakers return to action against the Golden State Warriors at 8:30 p.m. ET Saturday on ABC and the ESPN app.
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This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Feb 6, 2026, where it first appeared in the NBA section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
