The Philadelphia 76ers should not hesitate to pursue Cleveland Cavaliers guard Keon Ellis in free agency.
The Philadelphia 76ers' backcourt is scarce entering free agency.
Tyrese Maxey and V.J. Edgecombe are the only guards under contract for Philadelphia, as Quentin Grimes is an unrestricted free agent and Kyle Lowry is anticipated to retire. This leaves an obvious void to fill, especially if Grimes decides to depart.
One player who can help solve the 76ers' guard room depth problem is Cleveland Cavaliers' Keon Ellis, who is set to be an unrestricted free agent. Bleacher Report named Ellis as one of five "bargain-bin" free agents who can help every NBA team.
Defense is Ellis' specialty and is the reason he'll draw interest from contending teams this offseason. He averaged 1.2 steals and 0.6 blocks in the 2025-2026 season, with those numbers being elevated to 1.3 steals and 0.8 blocks during his time with the Cavaliers.
Maxey and Edgecombe are strong on that end of the floor in their own right, but having a lockdown defender to come off the bench would be a huge bonus.
Offensively is where the 26-year-old's game could use some improvement. He is, however, a great catch-and-shoot specialist from the arc, as he knocked down 36.3% of his shots from three-point range this season.
This is the perfect archetype of offensive game the 76ers need because they already have so many players who demand the ball. Giving Joel Embiid another reliable piece to kick out to when double teams come would be huge for offensive spacing.
Where Ellis needs growth is in the areas of creating his own shot, attacking the paint, and being a playmaker. At his age, it's entirely possible he's able to strengthen these weaknesses.
What really makes Ellis a "bargain" free agent, though, is how he performed in the NBA Playoffs for the Cavaliers. He likely tanked his free agency value by averaging just 1.6 points on 33.3% shooting in 12 appearances. It's worth noting he had a limited role in Cleveland's rotation.
Philadelphia would be taking a bit of a flyer on him after a weak postseason, but given his proven three-point shooting and defensive abilities it's worth it.
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