As it’s now Sunday, we can officially say the trade deadline is this week, but we got one in right before the buzzer as the [Kings, Cavaliers, and Bulls agreed to a trade late on Saturday night](https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/47793616/sources-cavs-trade-hunter-kings-schroder-ellis). The Cavs acquired Dennis Schroder and Keon Ellis, the Kings acquired DeAndre Hunter, and the Bulls added Dario Saric and two 2nd round picks.
The players changing hands between the Kings and Bulls are obviously the highlights of this deal, but it’s certainly interesting to see a recent former Nugget, Saric, getting moved again so soon.
Saric was a disastrous signing by the Nuggets two offseasons ago, as Calvin Booth gave him the taxpayers' midlevel, and to make matters worse, added a player option as well. Saric quickly proved to be washed and unplayable, eating up money and a spot at the end of the bench. He appeared to be almost unmovable, but somehow Denver was able to flip him to the Kings in exchange for Jonas Valanciunas.
The Nuggets took on some extra salary in the deal, but must have been shocked and thrilled to shed Saric’s money for an actual impact backup center. So imagine the surprise in seeing Saric move again, just a few months later.
His salary came in handy to make the money work in this deal, and Saric, who has scored exactly 5 points in 41 minutes this season, was smartly absorbed by the Bulls, who received the two 2nd-round picks for their trouble.
Keon Ellis would have been nice addition for Nuggets
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Beyond the shock of seeing that Saric was moved, Nuggets fans must be kicking themselves for not getting in on Keon Ellis. Ellis has proven to be a very good perimeter/wing defender and a guy who can knock down threes and handle the ball on offense.
His lack of usage by the Kings has been perplexing for years, but then again, it’s the Kings. Ellis, on a minimum salary, was one of the most attractive and attainable pieces on the market and would have been an outstanding addition to the Denver backcourt.
Instead, he’s off to Cleveland, where he’ll likely make a positive impact for the Cavs immediately. Being able to add him without even giving up a pick is a great piece of business, and it has to make you wonder if the Nuggets could have gotten involved and beaten that offer with a combination of young players and future pick swaps.