Queta and Ellis shine as star role players elsewhere, exposing glaring front office blunders that allowed elite talent to walk away for nothing.
Front office dysfunction has been a core tenet of the Sacramento Kings' daily operations for nearly two decades running.
Still, for whatever reason, the franchise has become incredibly adept at finding talent on the margins through the second round of the NBA draft or even by poaching undrafted prospects soon after the event concludes.
Neemias Queta and Keon Ellis are prime examples of each situation unfolding for the Kings in recent years. However, the pair of elite role players also shine a light on the difference in competence between Sacramento's scouting department and roster management group.
After allowing the athletic 7-foot lob threat Queta to walk for nothing and join the Boston Celtics on a bargain 3-year, $7.2 million deal in the summer of 2023, he's now leaped into the mainstream as a real 2026 Most Improved Player candidate.
Queta's dominant 27-point, 17-rebound performance in a victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday night only bolstered his case and shifted more focus to Sacramento's obvious malpractice.
Ellis' first statement game after being traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers at the trade deadline with Dennis Schröder for De'Andre Hunter came earlier that same day in a 106-102 Cavs victory over the Brooklyn Nets. The 6-foot-4 shooting guard locked down Brooklyn on the perimeter and at the basket, finishing with 3 steals and 5 blocked shots.
The best explanation for the Kings' Queta blunder is that former general manager Monte McNair might not have given much thought to bringing him back for a third season with the team. After all, he'd won Executive of the Year in 2023 after his squad made a loud run to the postseason for the first time in 17 years.
Contrary to what may have been running through McNair's mind, he was not granted a chance to kick back, relax and bask in his success after Sacramento's wildly successful season.
He took his foot off the gas and kept the same exact group heading into the 2023-24 season, letting a future starting center and award winner on a legitimate title contender leave for nothing in the process.
Though it's hard to say, McNair gets somewhat of a pass for Queta because his ascension was much harder to predict.
On the other hand, who would've thought that Ellis would stamp himself as a game-wrecking three-and-D talent on a contender of his own? -- Well, virtually everyone outside of current general manager Scott Perry, apparently...
Ever since Ellis was picked up as an undrafted two-way contract signee in 2022, he immediately proved his worth at the G-League level with the Stockton Kings throughout the main NBA franchise's magical regular season run in 2022-23. Averaging 16.8 points, 1.4 steals and 0.7 blocks while connecting on 43.6% of his looks from three-point range.
He'd soon earn a call-up to begin the 2023-24 campaign and take full advantage of his opportunity. After 57 appearances, he'd contribute 5.4 points, 0.9 steals and 0.5 blocks on a fantastic 62.7% true shooting percentage. The advanced numbers told the full story of Ellis' gritty nature on the perimeter, as he registered a career-best 113 defensive rating per 100 possessions and 2.1 defensive box plus-minus.
If that first season as a full-timer wasn't enough to warrant a 'fan-favorite' label from Kings fandom, his 2024-25 season certainly checked all of the boxes as he shot 43.3% on 4.0 threes and kept that same never-say-die defensive mentality.
It had become painfully obvious that Ellis was the real deal, but the Kings' awful past two seasons have not matched his timeline of effectiveness. He deserves to help a real contender on their road to hoisting the Larry O'Brien trophy, and Perry granted him his wish by dealing him to a new-look Cavaliers squad featuring Donovan Mitchell, James Harden, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen.
Through his first 10 games with his new team, Ellis has only raised the lofty bar he'd set for himself upon arrival even higher. His defensive box plus-minus has skyrocketed to an unreal 4.5 figure, and the Cavs are 7-3 in that span.
Sure, Queta and Ellis are far from the first clear examples of mismanagement from Sacramento's higher-ups, but it's the most painful set of missteps from the front office in several seasons.
The Kings have reached a new low as the NBA's worst team (14-48 rec.) with 20 games remaining this season, but hope exists that both sacrifices will be rewarded with the introduction of a franchise-altering talent in the 2026 NBA Draft.
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