The Sacramento Kings have finally made the trade that the entire league saw coming, and moved Keon Ellis. For some reason, the Kings' coaching staff couldn't see the potential in him while several other teams did. It's a move that didn't need to happen, and one Sacramento will likely regret.
Keon Ellis is a fourth-year undrafted player who had spent his entire career with the Kings up until the trade. Despite being a potential 3&D threat, Sacramento rarely seemed to take his development seriously. That became particularly evident when Doug Christie took over as head coach.
Considering that the rebuild is largely focused on creating a real defensive presence for the Kings, it's been confusing why Sacramento didn't want to work with Keon. Given his defense and his three-point shooting, he seems like a perfect fit for the rebuild. Yet, they actively sent him away.
That's where Christie comes in. The scuttlebutt on the issue is that it was Christie's coaching staff who wanted Ellis moved, not the front office. Regardless of who wanted Ellis gone, the end result remains the same. It's something that the Kings are going to have to contend with in the future.
This move will be good for Ellis, but bad for the Kings
After three and a half seasons of this nonsense, Ellis was probably ready to get out of Sacramento. Not because he didn't like the city or the franchise, but because the coaching staff, particularly Doug Christie, didn't want to put him to work. Players want to play, not sit on the bench and watch.
Now, Ellis is heading to the Cavaliers with Dennis Schroder, which will hopefully lead to better things for Keon. Reportedly, anywhere from 10 to 12 teams were interested in his services. That says something about the caliber of player he is and the potential the rest of the league sees in him.
The Cavs represent a new opportunity for Ellis, one that will allow him to prove he's worth the hype. Hopefully, that's what happens. If it does, it will only make the Kings look worse for not putting him to better use. That trade might end up being viewed as another mistake in a long line of mistakes.
Keon Ellis had a lot of fans in Sacramento who are not happy to see him leave. But the reality is that this was an inevitable trade. The Kings didn't want to work with Ellis, and he deserves the chance to play to the best of his abilities.