Who could the Sacramento Kings work a deal with in this scenario? There are growing theories Ellis and Schroeder will be teammates elsewhere.
The Sacramento Kings face adding new members inside their locker room before Feb. 5 -- and watching some teammates clean out theirs for good.
The NBA's trade deadline is fast approaching for Feb. 5, with Keon Ellis rising as the most likely to get dealt away.
Ellis already is linked to as many as 14 different NBA franchises in the trade market. But one league insider revealed some "framework" being discussed between the Kings and the Cleveland Cavaliers about a potential trade, and not just limited to Ellis.
Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reports that Dennis Schroeder is getting looked at too in a possible trade package here.
"Cleveland and Sacramento have discussed a framework that would send Cavaliers forward De’Andre Hunter to the Kings for Keon Ellis, Dennis Schroeder, and Dario Saric, league sources told HoopsHype," Scotto wrote Saturday morning. "A third team could be looped in to take on Saric, and second-round draft pick compensation also could be added to the framework, sources said."
The Kings reserve Ellis, again, looks like the more appealing draw here.
"Ellis, a coveted 3-and-D guard by many teams around the league, will become extension eligible on February 9," Scotto said. "If he’s not extended before the end of the regular season, he’ll enter unrestricted free agency this summer."
Yet how does the fellow reserve Schroeder factor into this scenario Scotto is revealing?
"Schroeder is owed $14.81 million for next season and has a partial guarantee of $4.35 million for the 2027-28 season, as previously reported by HoopsHype," Scotto said.
As for the seldom used Saric, Scotto adds: "Saric is on an expiring $5.43 million contract."
Hunter, in the mean time, Scotto says "is on the books for $24.91 million next season."
This above possibility turns Cleveland into the big trade winner here.
The Cavs would add shooting depth and a defensive stalwart in Ellis to team with names like Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, etc. Thus, adding Ellis and Schroeder re-increases Cleveland's chances to return to the postseason. Schroeder, in this scenario, hands Cleveland a spark plug off the bench on the scoring side.
Cleveland sits at 29-21 overall and fifth among Eastern Conference teams. The Cavs have become an NBA Finals title threat through "Spider" Mitchell and Mobley leading this charge.
Ellis and Schroeder, meanwhile, will jam from a possible top NBA Draft lottery winner and land with an aspiring contender if this deal comes into fruition.
On the surface, this doesn't come off as an earth-shaking trade a la last season's Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers deal. But Ellis and Schroeder to Cleveland presents a depth boosting move the Cavs should attempt.
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