Sacramento Kings fans, tired of losses? Find playoff joy by cheering on Keon Ellis and the Cleveland Cavaliers instead.
Tanking is an incredibly hard situation to endure for fans of lowly NBA teams, but Sacramento Kings fans know the feeling well.
Sacramento's ongoing 14-game skid allowed the group to claim the NBA's worst record (12-44) heading into the All-Star break, and their focus on stacking up losses won't be going away anytime soon, as a monumental 2026 NBA Draft awaits this summer.
In the midst of what is now tied for their longest losing streak in franchise history, the Kings' general manager Scott Perry spared fan-favorite guard Keon Ellis of the continued misery, trading him to the contending Cleveland Cavaliers on Jan. 31.
Kings fans have consistently been regarded as some of the best in the entire association, but there's no chance that even the most diehard of followers will remain locked in for their remaining 26 games.
With that being said, NBA author Ben Golliver offered an alternative if their supporters still want something to root for other than potentially landing the No. 1 pick in the draft.
"I think if you're a Kings fan, what you need to do is not watch another second of the Kings this season," Golliver shared with Yahoo Sports' Kevin O'Connor on Thursday.
"What you need to do is hop on Keon Ellis, and he's now on the Cavaliers, and just kind of (experience) secondary joy of getting to watch this guy who (the fans) did like when he was in Sacramento get a chance at a playoff run and have a chance at (making) an impact."
Perry did Ellis and Dennis Schröder a solid by shipping them to one of the Eastern Conferences top contenders. Kings fans might want to follow that same path to Cleveland if they wish to feel a semblance of playoff-level excitement.
At the very least, the fans' special connection with the former as an undrafted, gritty guard is a justifiable reason to make the switch for the rest of the way through. Ellis fought to earn as much time as he could on the floor while wearing a Kings jersey, averaging 6.3 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.1 steals while knocking down 41.6% of his looks from three-point range in 196 appearances.
Golliver's stance on his potential to impact winning for Cleveland is also completely justified thanks to his remarkable three-and-D skillset. As a utility piece and underrated X-Factor on the Cavaliers' bench, he'll be deployed with the goal of harassing the best offensive talents the East has to offer in the postseason.
Since joining Cleveland to act as a defensive safety blanket for superstar guards Donovan Mitchell and James Harden, he appears more motivated than ever to create havoc on that end, as evidenced by a fantastic 3.4 defensive box plus-minus figure through his first four outings with his new team.
For Kings fans, any on-court victories will help to carry them through this stretch. Watching Ellis and the Cavs from afar can do the trick, for now.
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