The Sacramento Kings reserve has emerged as the hottest trade commodity ahead of the league's deadline next Thursday.
Keon Ellis has his Sacramento Kings days already numbered, according to the high level of interest for the reserve.
NBA insider Marc Stein revealed a whopping number of teams have looked into the Kings reserve.
"An estimated 14 teams have registered varying degrees of trade interest in Sacramento's Keon Ellis,” Stein wrote.
It's now no longer a secret that Ellis is emerging as the most likely to be moved -- even before any franchise looks into Russell Westbrook, Malik Monk or DeMar DeRozan.
"League sources say numerous teams are in pursuit of Ellis, with the Kings believed to be seeking a first-round pick given the widespread interest. One source close to the process essentially describes an Ellis trade as an inevitability,” Stein wrote.
Stein's words could point to general manager Scott Perry looking to add an extra pick come June 2026. Sacramento already is boosting its NBA Draft Lottery chances with every loss -- positioning itself at possibly landing the top overall pick in the draft. But adding an additional selection if an Ellis deal is made builds up the future moving forward.
Is Ellis worth a first round sacrifice, though?
He established himself as an Alabama star down in Southeastern Conference country. He's only averaging 5.4 points per game for this Kings team. He hit 8.3 PPG last season.
Still, Ellis is drawing intrigue as a 26-year-old who can contribute as a bench scorer and defensive presence. Even NBA insider Brett Siegel envisions that Ellis will be moved.
"Keon Ellis, he's a guy that I fully expect to be on the move before the trade deadline, but again, multiple teams interested in him. And so if you're the Lakers, you're going to have to give up something of value to really draw Sacramento's attention,” Siegel said on Jan. 23.
Ellis noticeably continues to lose ground to Monk amid bench minutes. Head coach Doug Christie has created a habit of earning Monk more action but when that happens, Ellis' minutes decreases.
Ellis scored just three points but received 22 minutes of playing time at the Madison Square Garden. He even earned 21 minutes and scored 14 points against the Detroit Pistons the previous contest.
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