The Los Angeles Lakers could get Keon Ellis and Devin Carter from the Kings for virtually free if they can convince Sacramento that Dalton Knecht jump-starts their rebuild. Ellis is an elite defender and career 43.1 percent 3-point shooter, but is struggling to get minutes. Carter was a lottery pick in 2024 that the Kings talked about dumping in the offseason (subscription required). One team's castoffs could quickly turn into gold for the Lakers.
LA is 17th in defensive rating, but has their eyes set on title contention. They hope LeBron James can offer a boost. Betting on a 40-year-old to revamp an entire unit seems foolish even if he is the GOAT. The Lakers want to be top ten and need a strong point of attack defender to realize that.
Ellis could be that option, and Devin Carter has sneaky defensive upside. The Lakers would get younger with two players who fit Luka Doncic’s timeline. They have traded Knecht once before and are likely to do so again. This time, the deal sticks and raises the Lakers' ceiling.
Lakers should trade for Keon Ellis in less than one month
Here is a look at the specifics of this trade.
This could turn into a genius trade by the Lakers. No franchise has been more dysfunctional than the Kings in recent years, so they bet on Sacramento remaining a nightmare by offering a first-round pick swap. Sacramento is not developing either player and clearly would like to move on from both. There is no way they say no.
The Lakers throw in Dalton Knecht and Jaxson Hayes to make the salary work. Knecht was out of the rotation when LeBron James returned. They would be thin at the five behind Deandre Ayton, but this deal allows head coach JJ Redick to go small in the second unit.
Los Angeles wants to put shooting and defense around Luka Doncic. Ellis offers both and gives them a true 3-and-D guard without mortgaging the one tradeable first-round draft pick at their disposal.
Ellis will be an unrestricted free agent in the offseason, but the Lakers have a ton of cap space. They could explore his fit before determining if they want to pay him long-term.
LA desperately needs a young talent with upside. Devin Carter has struggled in his first two NBA seasons, but he was a lottery pick for a reason. The Lakers would be buying low and could help the 6’2 guard reach his ceiling.
Fans may not love this trade, but it could turn into Knecht and Hayes for Ellis and Carter straight up if the Kings are worse than the Lakers in 2030. Los Angeles fills a need and gets two young talents as they attempt to build their roster around number 77.
The Los Angeles Lakers will be active and aggressive, and it is an underrated move like this that could lift them into title contention. LA has the top-end talent, but needs the right group of role players. Getting two potential difference-makers at a low cost seems like a no-brainer for the purple and gold.