The Sacramento Kings have been as active as any team in the NBA—and the Los Angeles Lakers may be the biggest beneficiaries of their questionable decisions. Sacramento has loaded up on productive veterans, seemingly going all-in on a vision that centers around endless streams of offense.
Unfortunately, promising 3-and-D wing Keon Ellis appears to be the odd man out if the Kings' preseason rotations are a sign of things to come.
Ellis played 16 minutes in the Kings' preseason opener, eight less than rookie Nique Clifford. Ellis was then limited to eight mintues in Sacramento's second preseason game, with both Clifford and second-year defensive guard Devin Carter at least doubling his playing time.
Ellis again received a mere eight minutes during the Kings' most recent preseason game, thus painting a concerning picture in regard to his future with the franchise.
Ellis' situation became even more dire when Sacramento signed point guard Russell Westbrook. Westbrook is likely to secure a significant number of minutes himself, meaning Ellis will have even fewer opportunities to play if he fails to usurp Carter and Clifford.
That's great news for the Lakers, which are in dire need of a player like Ellis to step in and excel as a two-way wing who can provide consistent value at the point of attack.
Keon Ellis' dwindling minutes suggest Lakers can trade for him
Ellis' decline in playing time shouldn't be confused with a reflection of his ability or potential value outside of Sacramento. The Kings have loaded up on offensive-minded veterans who will command significant minutes such as DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine, Malik Monk, Dennis Schröder, and Westbrook.
With five perimeter players already projecting to receive a lion's share of the available minutes, Ellis was destined to struggle to find the court.
The Lakers shouldn't wait long to capitalize on this development by adding Ellis as the perfect complement to Luka Doncic. He's proven himself as an efficient three-point shooter and eager defender who's willing to take on opponents' best perimeter scorers.
Considering Los Angeles has a pressing need for reliable three-point shooters and point-of-attack defenders, Ellis could cure several issues plaguing JJ Redick's rotation.
In 2024-25, the four players who Ellis spent the most defensive possessions matched up against were James Harden, Anthony Edwards, Stephen Curry, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. That's all that needs to be said about how willing he is to take on the challenge of slowing down elite players.
Ellis is also a career 42.9 percent shooter from beyond the arc who has established a specialty in catch-and-shoot situations.
Keon Ellis is the two-way wing the Lakers desperately need
Ellis shot 43.3 percent on catch-and-shoot three-point field goals in 2024-25, which bodes well for his potential fit alongside Doncic. He also buried an absurd 50.0 percent of his 108 corner threes, as well 39.9 percent of his 213 attempts from above the break.
Outside of his three-point specialty, Ellis shot 74.5 percent on 94 shot attempts within the restricted area—15.0 percent higher than the league average.
Beyond the numbers, Ellis moves strategically without the ball to accommodate the positioning of the playmakers he's complementing. That projects to fit well within a Lakers system that's built around slashing facilitators and scorers such as Doncic, LeBron James, and Austin Reaves.
Ellis also has the explosiveness to get out in transition and help turn defense into offense—an important skill for the Lakers to consider after ranking in the bottom half of the NBA in fast break points in 2024-25.
The hurdle in trading for Ellis is also the appeal: He has an expiring contract worth just $2,301,587. That's a difficult salary to match when factoring in the need to provide equal on-court value, but this could be the start of a bigger deal that helps Los Angeles address the unavoidable need for two-way wings.
With Sacramento appearing to be favoring other players over Ellis, the time has never been better for the Lakers to swoop in and add a critical piece to their puzzle.