Cleveland acquired former Alabama guard Keon Ellis through a three-team, four-player trade between the Cavaliers, Kings, and Bulls on Sunday.
The Cavaliers traded De’Andre Hunter to Sacramento while acquiring Ellis and Dennis Schroder from the Kings. The Bulls picked up Dario Saric and a pair of second-round picks. Cleveland will also receive Emannuel Miller in the deal, which was finalized on Sunday.
Ellis, who spent two seasons with the Crimson Tide (2020-2022), was a part of Alabama’s 2020-2021 SEC Championship. In his senior season, he averaged 12.1 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 1.9 steals per game while shooting 36.5% from beyond the arc. Despite a solid senior year, Ellis went undrafted in the 2022 NBA Draft, but he eventually signed a two-way contract with Sacramento before earning a standard contract.
The former Crimson Tide guard spent four seasons with the Kings, during his last two becoming much more involved in the offense. Last season, he finished ranked eighth in three-point shooting rate at 43.3, while also leading the Kings in steals with 121.
Ellis averaged 8.3 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 1.5 steals per game while shooting 48.9% from the field.
Despite his performance last season, Ellis has seen his minutes cut this season, averaging 24.4 minutes per game then, and now he’s averaging only 17.6 minutes per game.
This could be an excellent move for Ellis, with him joining a back court consisting of six-time all-star Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland. Cleveland’s president of basketball, Koby Altman, shared his thoughts on the trade.
“After careful evaluation and a clearer view of the Eastern Conference landscape, we believe adding Dennis and Keon strengthens our depth, expands our flexibility, and positions us to keep building a championship-caliber team now and into the future,” Altman added. “In a season defined by its parity, this move better aligns us for a deeper postseason run.”
Ellis will be leaving a 12-38 Sacramento team, which is the worst in the NBA, to join the 29-21 Cavaliers, who are fourth in the Eastern Conference. He will be playing for $2.3 million this season, after the Kings exercise their option on his contract in the offseason.
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