[Scotto] The Indiana Pacers have expressed interest in acquiring Keon Ellis from the Sacramento Kings and have targeted him in the past.

16 comments

  2. We have way too many guards. Nembhard, Nesmith, Mathurin, and McConnell are very important to this team. At the same time, Keon Ellis would genuinely fit perfect with this team in a world where we had a legitimate small forward.

  5. Posted this on r/nba – Keon’s making 2.5M, so it’s basically swapping minimums or aggregating a few minimums together to salary match somebody on a higher rookie-scale contract.

    A couple of spitball ideas:

    Keon Ellis for Ben Sheppard and draft compensation

    Keon Ellis and Doug McDermott for Jarace Walker (I am not trying to endorse this, I’m just pointing out that the salaries work here)

  6. Ellis would be interesting. He’s a bit smaller than Sheppard but he’s a much better 3-point shooter and probably a better defender as well.

    The underlying issue…he’s an expiring contract so unless we have a plan to retain him (adding to a tightening cap sheet), it would be odd to bring him in during what’s going to likely be a “lost year”. It’ll certainly be possible to keep him, but it will require additional planning to what is already going to be a very busy summer.

    As far as trades go…Due to Ellis’s salary, we’ll probably be limited to offering Ben Sheppard & 2nd round draft compensation. We’re all low on Sheppard right now, but that doesn’t feel like enough here.

  8. As long as he signs an extension, I think this would be a great trade. Ellis is a terrific defender and a solid shooter.

    Of course, that creates a situation where there would be a crowded backcourt. But I think that someone would need to get traded to acquire a starting caliber center.

  10. Only reason to do this is to prepare to trade nembhard next off season after extending Mathurin

    hali/math/nesmith/pascal/a real center likely by trading nembhard

    tj/ellis/walker/obi/huff

    or unless we are trading TJM and his salary to take in ellis.

  11. There’s been so much activity between Sacramento and Indiana over the years.

    As a Kings fan (Sacramento by birth) and a Pacers fan (lived in Indy most of my life), it’s been interesting to watch. The Kings sub is literally begging Kings leadership to use Keon more, but they’re shopping him around and saying he’s not a building block piece for the future. That, unfortunately, has been the Kings mantra lately, especially at the guard positions.

    If the Pacers do get Keon, it’ll be a good pickup, but I’ll mourn for the Kings too. I don’t think the Pacers need him, though. They already have TJ who plays a similar role. Maybe he could replace Sheppard. He does bring great shooting and tenacious defense. There’s always a place for that on any team.

  13. I’m going to call my shot here. If we do this trade, Ellis is someone we are interested in, but the guy we really want is Maxime Raynaud.

    We are going to offer Walker for Raynaud and Ellis as a way to have a young developmental big on the roster (and another french speaker), and an insurance policy if Mathurin gets some ridiculous offer in RFA we can’t responsibly match. Also gives us someone who can fill his spot if he’s traded at the deadline.

    for the Kings, it would give them some “positionless basketball” switchability between Murray and Walker, and great spacing for Sabonis to operate in the post. Walker would not be asked to initiate the offense, and only would have to do what he does at a really high level, which is to defend, shoot wide open 3s, and make connecting passes to get wide open 3s and hit cutters.

  14. I interpret this report from Scotto more as a potential future signing (next summer) than in-season trade.

    Why in the hell would anyone give up assets for an upcoming UFA that is not extension-eligible until after the trade deadline and is out of favor for whatever reason on a bad team.

    I don’t see him ahead of any of the Pacers stable of guards either. Ellis is overrated in my book. He’d likely be out of the rotation here too unless you’re downgrading your roster to get him.

  15. Not germane to this discussion, but if I’ve learned anything from the folks over at r/nba, it’s that it’s absolutely disgusting of the Kings to put poor Ellis in trade rumors like this…

  16. They won’t do this, for one Sacramento is supposedly wanting a first round pick ( I don’t believe he’s worth that) and we don’t need another backcourt player we need size / rebounding. Ellis is a good player but I don’t see his ceiling climbing much higher than last season at 24 mpg
    Let it ride this season probably sign Mathurin to extension and take the high
    Draft pick. We need a center but I don’t see anyone going that high so hopefully boozer he would fit so well on this team

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