The Los Angeles Lakers would be a significantly better team with Keon Ellis on the roster. It's an unavoidable truth that makes it all the more painful to accept that the Cleveland Cavaliers acquired the 3-and-D specialist before Los Angeles could.
If the cost of acquiring Ellis was taking back Dennis Schröder or one of the other unfavorable contracts on the roster, however, then the Lakers were right to avoid a trade.
Schröder is a familiar face around these parts, having spent two seasons with the Lakers. He took on a rather significant role when Los Angeles played 27 games without LeBron James and 36 sans Anthony Davis in 2020-21, helping the team still manage a 42-30 record.
Schröder returned for a second stint in 2022-23, during which time he helped the Lakers make the Western Conference Finals and win their only two playoff series since 2020.
Unfortunately, price has played a factor in Schröder's tenures proving short lived on both occassions. His contract demands have been inconsistent with what Los Angeles deemed fair value and they thus parted ways before a long-term future could gain traction.
Fast forward to 2026 and the same dynamic is at play, with Schröder's three-year, $44,427,600 salary offering early insight into why the Lakers may have passed on trading for Ellis.
Keon Ellis trade would've required Lakers to sacrifice financial flexibility
Schröder is in the first season of his three-year deal. He'll make $14,809,200 in 2026-27 and $15,514,400 in 2027-28. Though neither figure is particularly intimidating, the Lakers are finally approaching an offseason during which they'll have the financial freedom to make meaningful moves in free agency.
With the likes of Rui Hachimura, LeBron James, Maxi Kleber, Austin Reaves, and Gabe Vincent all coming off the books, the Lakers could realistically swing for the fences this summer.
It'd be a welcome change for a franchise that's relied on minimum contracts and the buyout market over the past two seasons. It's also a necessary departure from that strategy considering the Lakers need to sell Luka Doncic on a long-term future with the franchise.
Continuing to embrace the strategy that's produced a combined 10 playoff game victories over the past five seasons simply isn't an ideal sell.
Lakers benefit more from 2026 cap relief than anything else at this stage
Even if one were to put salary aside, the fact remains that Schröder is an imperfect fit. The Lakers have three ball-dominant playmakers in Doncic, James, and Reaves, and adding another player who needs the ball in their hands to be effective would thus be more redundant than beneficial.
That dilemma would've persisted even if the Kings had asked the Lakers to take back a player such as DeMar DeRozan or Malk Monk instead of Schröder, which further proves how fair it was to pass on this deal.
Thankfully, the Lakers will have an opportunity to right this potential wrong when Ellis enters unrestricted free agency in 2026. Cleveland will not be able to match contract offers and Los Angeles could thus outbid the incumbents or even simply appeal to the promising wing's sensibilities.
As far as completing a trade for Ellis ahead of the 2026 deadline was concerned, however, the Lakers were wise to protect their financial future.