With the NBA trade deadline looming just eight days away, it’s known that plenty of the Sacramento Kings players are available in deals. But, as the cliche goes, it takes two to tango.
Finding another organization willing to take on the sizeable contracts of Zach LaVine, Domantas Sabonis, Malik Monk, DeMar DeRozan, or Dennis Schroder isn’t an easy task. That may be the primary reason that their most likely player to be moved is Keon Ellis.
With Ellis being on an expiring minimum contract ($2.3 million), he’s easy for the team to acquire. If a team were to trade for him, they would also obtain his bird rights, allowing them to go over the salary cap to re-sign him.
Given that flexibility, there seems to be a healthy market for Ellis around the league. No team dealing with second-apron limitations could acquire his salary for free, but it still leaves plenty of options.
Having the option to re-sign him this season, avoiding him participating in unrestricted free agency, has decent value. Given Ellis’s history with the organization and inconsistent playing time under two different head coaches, it’s hard to imagine him wanting to stay in California’s capital.
People within the Kings organization say they like what Ellis brings to the floor and wouldn’t mind keeping him around longterm, but their actions have told a different story.
Ellis is perhaps the most sought-after. Regularly getting DNP-CDs under head coach Doug Christie — and previously Mike Brown — has been a confusing part of the season as Christie has often pointed to the “logjam” they have at the guard position.
While getting a first-round pick for Ellis’s expiring contract may seem like a long shot, it’s easy to see how he would benefit a current contender like Denver, Detroit, San Antonio, or even Houston.
More on Keon Ellis
Of the 41 games Ellis has played in this season, he saw the floor for less than 10 minutes on nine occasions. He’s also recorded five DNP-CDs. Inconsistency in his role has certainly played a role in his poor numbers, but it’s been a rough season for the three-and-D player.
Averaging 17.5 minutes per night, Ellis has tallied 5.4 points, 1.3 rebounds, and less than one assist while shooting an unideal 38.9 percent from the field.
Known as a sharpshooter from distance, he’s also shooting 36 percent from three, a down year compared to his 43.3 percent conversion rate in 2024-25.
Given that the Milwaukee Bucks seem to be shifting their focus to moving on from Giannis Antetokounmpo sooner rather than later, that removes one of the very limited (and potentially only) potential destinations for LaVine while complicating matters for DeRozan.
Maybe the Kings can get creative by being the third or fourth team in a larger deal, but as the trade deadline gets closer, it’s unclear which of their rostered players actually have value leaguewide. With no desire to attach draft capital to move off of contracts, it feels like Ellis may have the most value (aside from Sabonis) while also being in an ideal salary situation.
If Sacramento general manager Scott Perry were able to get a first-round pick for Ellis, it could help their future-focused timeline. Even if it were second-round draft capital, that’s better than potentially losing him for nothing in free agency this offseason.
Moving on probably makes sense for both sides.
More Sacramento Kings coverage on Sactown Sports
The Sacramento Kings may not be able to declare that they are “tanking” for obvious reasons, but it’s no secret that the franchise has its eyes set on the top of the 2026 NBA Draft.
Through 48 games, Sacramento holds a 12-38 record, placing them just a half-game ahead of the New Orleans Pelicans for the worst record in the Western Conference.
As we move closer to the NBA trade deadline (Thursday, February 5th at 12 pm PT), the Kings could make some moves that open up the rotation or give new players a look as first-year general manager Scott Perry evaluates the next steps for this top-heavy roster.
Read More:
Sacramento Kings Tank Update: Close to No. 1?
Upcoming Sacramento Kings schedule for the 2025-26 season
Thursday, January 29th – @ Philadelphia 76ers – 4:00 PM PT
Sunday, January 30th – @ Boston Celtics – 4:30 PM PT
Sunday, February 1st – @ Washington Wizards – 3:00 PM PT
Wednesday, February 4th – vs. Memphis Grizzlies – 7:00 PM PT
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