Keon Ellis is a name whom many in Los Angeles have been fascinated with ahead of the unofficial start to trade season on Dec. 15. If Rob Pelinka and the Los Angeles Lakers really want to poach the defensive stopper from their division rival, they will need to field a very competitive offer.
No one is suggesting the Sacramento Kings star is going to demand a massive ransom. However, Marc Stein did point out during an appearance on the ALL NBA Podcast that Ellis' trade market is already forming rapidly for the Kings.
Stein said, "Their phones are already ringing for Keon Ellis. ... 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?"
The NBA insider reaffirmed that Keegan Murray and Nique Clifford are the only players being treated as off-limits by the Kings, and the franchise is open to 'pretty much everything else.' If these calls about Ellis quickly turn into trade offers, the question is if the Lakers have the assets to keep up.
Keon Ellis would fit like a glove in Los Angeles — for a steep cost
It should be no surprise that Ellis would be a player many teams greatly desire. Even with the reality of needing to pay up for an expiring contract being involved, the player archetype discussed when looking at the Kings guard is too valuable for many contending teams, in particular, to pass up.
Ellis has fallen out of favor in Sacramento's rotation of late. The 25-year-old has only played over 10 minutes in a ball game once in the last five outings for the Kings. Ellis sat out the game altogether against the Denver Nuggets on Nov. 22.
The handling of his minutes seems strange considering the capable 3-and-D skill set possessed by the fourth-year guard. Ellis' role continues to shrink, even among a Kings team notably struggling at 5-16 to start the 2025-26 season.
Last year was a different story. Ellis averaged 24.4 minutes per game for Sacramento, posting 8.3 points, 2.7 assists, and snatching 1.5 steals. That came while shooting 43.3 percent from beyond the arc.
The Lakers, who are in need of both defense and perimeter shooting, would happily welcome Ellis to their rotation. Does Los Angeles have access to the type of assets needed for the 'net-positive trade' that Stein described?
In a vacuum, maybe they do. Against some of the competition that should be expected? That is a tough subject to get a clear answer for.