Keon Ellis is one of the most enigmatic players in the NBA, but his potential appeal to the Los Angeles Lakers is clear to see. The 26-year-old is a knockdown three-point shooter and an energetic point guard defender who could potentially take pressure off of Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.
Unfortunately for Ellis, he spent the 2025-26 season struggling to secure minutes on two different teams. Whether fair or foul, that's made him an even more realistic target for the Lakers in free agency.
Ellis seemed like the perfect fit for Los Angeles during the 2025 offseason and ahead of the 2026 trade deadline. Unfortunately, it was the Cleveland Cavaliers that pounced on the opportunity to acquire the promising 3-and-D guard in a relatively low-cost three-team deal that also brought in Dennis Schröder.
Ellis played 24.8 valuable minutes per game for the Cavaliers during the regular season, thus quickly justifying the investment with his shooting and defense.
Unfortunately, he averaged a mere 7.4 minutes per game during Cleveland's run to the Eastern Conference Finals. That's caused many to revisit the conversations that appeared to be settled about what his market value is or should be.
With a potentially depleted market for his talents, the Lakers shouldn't hesitate to bet on his potential when the competition is perhaps as low as it will ever be.
Keon Ellis' difficult postseason clears path for low-cost Lakers move
Ellis' fit with the Lakers is founded on two key strengths. For one, he's a career 40.7 percent three-point shooter whose lowest mark of efficiency was a still respectable 36.3 percent. He's achieved that success as something of a catch-and-shoot specialist.
Ellis shot 42.4 percent on catch-and-shoot threes in 2023-24, 43.3 percent in 2024-25, and overcame a mid-season trade to still hit 35.4 percent of his attempts in 2025-26.
That's an encouraging fact when one considers that the Lakers ranked dead last in the NBA in catch-and-shoot three-point field goals made in 2025-26. Finding a guard who can help resolve that issue would be an unavoidable win, as Los Angeles can plug Ellis in alongside Doncic or Austin Reaves.
With the energy and intensity the team needs from a guard on defense, Ellis thus becomes a dream target—and a potentially perfect Marcus Smart understudy.
Keon Ellis can learn from Marcus Smart if Lakers vet returns in 2026-27
The primary knock against Ellis is that he's too thin to defend bigger wings and is thus somewhat limited to guarding 1s and 2s. In saying that, the Lakers ranked No. 24 in the NBA in 2025-26 in opponent guard field goal percentage.
With a clear need to improve their defense against guards, Ellis looks like an ideal fit—and Smart could be the perfect veteran to help him scale his defensive impact.
Smart was a breath of fresh air for the Lakers in 2025-26 and could return by accepting his $5,390,700 player option or signing a new deal. There's at least some reason to believe he'll be back when one factors in that Doncic personally recruited Smart to Los Angeles.
If that scenario plays out, the former Defensive Player of the Year could impart his wisdom as a 6'3" guard who has defended every position on the court during his 12-year NBA career.
Clearly, Smart is a heavier and stronger player at 220 pounds than Ellis is at 175. If any player can help Ellis bridge the gap, responsibly put on weight, and become more versatile as a defender, however, it's one of the best defensive guards of the past 25 years.
Whether or not Smart returns, the Lakers must do what they can to sign Ellis. He can directly improve their depth at guard and thrive as the 3-and-D specialist Los Angeles desperately needs.
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