There are several questions regarding the future of Sacramento Kings guard Keon Ellis, but one thing is certain: NBA teams are beginning to line up for his services.
Ellis, who has fallen out of the Kings’ rotation due to a current logjam that includes Zach LaVine, Malik Monk, Dennis Schroder, and Russell Westbrook, is playing 16.6 minutes per game this season, down from the 24.4 he logged during the 2024-25 campaign.
At 5-16 on the season, why can’t Sacramento find playing time for a two-way guard that can act as a disruptor on-ball and in the passing lanes, while also shooting over 40 percent from three-point range? That’s a question that countless Kings fans want an answer to, and opposing teams are looking to answer themselves in the coming months.
According to NBA insider Marc Stein, teams are calling Sacramento regarding Ellis’ availability as trade talks will begin to heat up in the coming weeks when most players around the league become trade eligible on December 15th:
Well, look — their phones are already ringing for Keon Ellis, whose minutes — he’s playing about six minutes, what, a heck of a game fewer than he did last season.
And the Kings are going to have to decide: do we want to part with him — someone who you can probably construct a net-positive trade for between now and the deadline in February — or is that a player they want to keep for the future?
I mean, the early messaging out of the 916 has been that Keegan Murray and Nique Clifford are off-limits, and they’re open to pretty much everything else.
Marc Stein on Sacramento Kings guard Keon Ellis – November 29, 2025
More on Sacramento Kings guard Keon Ellis
It’s not often that the Sacramento Kings hit on an undrafted free agent, but that’s what they’ve done with Keon Ellis.
Ellis, an undrafted guard out of Alabama in 2022, has seen his stock skyrocket over the past season-plus, going from a G-League talent on a two-way contract to a starting-caliber guard who started at the shooting guard and point guard spots in 28 games last season.
The soon-to-be-26-year-old is in the final year of his contract with the Kings after Sacramento exercised its $2.3 million team option on Ellis in the offseason, rather than decline the option and negotiate a longer deal in restricted free agency.
Since the Kings picked up Keon Ellis’ option, he will become an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season, giving him the freedom to sign with any team he chooses on the open market.
It’s no secret that first-year Sacramento general manager Scott Perry has his work cut out for him in upgrading this lackluster roster, and creating turnover at the top will be easier said than done.
If the Kings are to part with pricey aging veterans like DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine, or Domantas Sabonis, they may have to attach sweeteners in trade talks to push deals over the goal line.
Adding draft capital to these deals may be the price Perry needs to pay, though some teams may be more inclined to accept a deal with Keon Ellis attached instead, giving Sacramento the ability to hold onto its picks.
Will the Sacramento Kings trade Keon Ellis?
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No matter how you slice it, it’s hard to look at this current Sacramento Kings rotation and say that it makes sense for Keon Ellis to be on the outside looking in.
Keon Ellis finished fifth among all NBA players in total steals last season (121) and was nearly top-ten in steals per game (11th, 1.5). His 43 percent average from three-point range came in at eighth on the NBA leaderboard.
Is he a perfect player? No–but he’s the type of player a soon-to-be-rebuilding Kings team needs for what’s coming. Having Keon Ellis alongside Keegan Murray, who has shown flashes in his first five games that he is ready to make the leap, and the recently drafted 24th overall pick, Nique Clifford, would give Sacramento a young core to assess and add to.
Three-and-D players are key aspects of winning basketball teams, and if the Kings can’t see it in Keon Ellis, another will.
The NBA trade deadline is on February 5th, but teams are already beginning to position themselves for upgrades in the coming weeks when most players become trade-eligible on December 15th.
More Sacramento Kings content from Sactown Sports
The Sacramento Kings are having one of their worst starts in franchise history, and the hits just keep on coming.
Although Sacramento took a lead into the fourth quarter of Sunday night’s game against the Memphis Grizzlies, they couldn’t hold on as they dropped a 115-107 contest at Golden 1 Center.
The Kings (5-16) are now in 14th place in the Western Conference standings — just one spot above last place — as they continue to search for answers in establishing an identity.
21 games in, it’s becoming clearer that this is this team’s identity, which bodes well for draft position watchers and poorly for those who are grading this team on wins.
If you’re grading the 2025-26 Sacramento Kings on the number of wins they end up with, it’s easy to guess where that is heading, as this team maintains a win-loss pace that would currently result in a final record of 20-62.
Kings continue to search for answers, fall to 5-16 on season
When is the next Sacramento Kings game?
The Sacramento Kings will hit the road for a three-stop road trip that begins Wednesday night in Houston.
Sacramento will face the Rockets for the first time this season, a team that is off to a strong start as they enter play against the Kings in possession of a top-five seed in the loaded Western Conference.
Last season, Sacramento swept the season series (3-0) against Houston, winning the lone matchup at Toyota Center by a final of 113-103 on March 1st behind 21 points from DeMar DeRozan.
Be sure to catch all of the Sacramento Kings vs. Houston Rockets action right here on Sactown Sports 1140 AM, with pregame coverage beginning at 2:00 PM PT on The Drive Guys before a 5:00 pm PT tip-off from Houston, Texas.
Upcoming Sacramento Kings schedule for the 2025-26 season
Wednesday, December 3rd – @ Houston Rockets – 5:00 PM PT
Saturday, December 6th – @ Miami Heat – 5:00 PM PT
Monday, December 8th – @ Indiana Pacers – 4:00 PM PT
Thursday, December 11th – vs. Denver Nuggets – 7:00 PM PT
Sunday, December 14th – @ Minnesota Timberwolves – 4:00 PM PT
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