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The Sacramento Kings are seeking one protected first-round pick for Keon Ellis, a reported Los Angeles Lakers trade target, per The Athletic’s Dan Woike.
The relatively low asking price for Ellis, a career 41% 3-point shooter, is not surprising, given that he’s a free agent in the 2026 offseason. Once considered a key core piece of the Kings’ future alongside Keegan Murray and Devin Carter, the 25-year-old Ellis has been in and out of the rotation for Doug Christie, tallying just 17.6 minutes this season after a career-best year in 2024-25.
Woike noted that even though Ellis is coveted by teams that need “on-ball defensive help,” the Kings wing has drawn mixed reviews from scouts.
“He’s maybe the most divisive player in the league,” one league source told Woike.
Keon Ellis, Worth the Gamble?
League scouts believe that Ellis, while a reputed perimeter defender, is more “suited for creating turnovers” with his active hands than “actually slowing down opponents.”
“Others who aren’t as high on him have concerns about his size and ability to defend bigger guards,” wrote Woike.
The Lakers won’t be the only team pursuing a trade for Ellis, added The Athletic.
“Still, he seems like the kind of player the Lakers will consider this trade season — though they won’t be alone in their pursuit.”
Lakers Trade Prospects
The Lakers — who own one tradeable first-round pick (2031 or 2032) and several expiring contracts to offer in deals — are hunting the league for 3-and-D players that can help shore up their 22nd-ranked defense.
Woike noted that, besides Ellis, Miami Heat’s Andrew Wiggins, LA Clippers‘ Derrick Jones Jr., Brooklyn Nets‘ Terrance Mann, Charlotte Hornets’ Josh Green and Chicago Bulls‘ Ayo Dosunmu have all been earmarked as potential Lakers trade targets.
Any of those players could help a Lakers team that has three subpar defenders in the starting unit, Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves and LeBron James, even if in a limited role. According to sources close to Woike, the Lakers are desperate to find perimeter help so they can free up Reaves, in particular, who has been hunted defensively by opponents.
“There’s a recognition that finding more defensive help on the perimeter is important for a lot of different reasons. The Lakers would like to take those assignments off Reaves’ plate. They’d like to better balance some lineups.”
One of the issues for the Lakers has been their inability to stop speedy guards. Look no further than Thursday’s win over the Utah Jazz when they gave up 78 first-half points and were lit up by Keyonte George. The Lakers similarly had major issues in trying to stop the San Antonio Spurs‘ three-headed guard combo of De’Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper in the NBA Cup quarterfinal clash this month.
Lakers head coach JJ Redick reportedly summoned a meeting with Luka Doncic and LeBron James recently, asking his veteran stars to shore up their defensive efforts.