With the unofficial starting date for trade season coming up on December 15, the Sacramento Kings are preparing to make big moves. One of them will likely include Keon Ellis, a fan favorite player who the Sactown faithful will be upset to see leave, but whose departure is all but assured.
When you really step back and take a look at it, moving Keon doesn't make a lot of sense. The Kings need young players with a defensive mindset who can still score. That's Keon Ellis in a nutshell. He should be at the core of Sacramento's rebuild alongside Keegan Murray and Nique Clifford.
Yet, the current actions of the Kings would seem to indicate that they're no longer interested in Keon. Unless the hometown crowd demands it, Ellis has a difficult time getting regular minutes. And the franchise doesn't appear to be putting in much effort into his development.
It's not like Ellis is in the same position as Devin Carter. In the case of Carter, the Kings have completely and utterly given up on him. He spends most of his time on the bench and doesn't get a lot of minutes. While the Kings will be willing to trade both, Ellis is the most likely to go.
Keon Ellis won't be with the Kings much longer
Reportedly, half the teams in the league are calling the Kings regarding Keon Ellis as the start date to trade season creeps closer and closer. The Kings may have fumbled his development, but other teams see a lot of potential in the young star. He is, without question, the Kings' best trade value.
The problem is his status as a fan favorite player. Sacramento fans absolutely love Keon, and have quite literally chanted for him to get on the court. While his trade is all but assured at this point, the fan response to it is inevitable. That's why the Kings need to make sure this is a great trade.
Sacramento cannot take a bath on the Ellis trade as they did on the Valanciunas trade over the summer. They gave up one of the best backup centers in the league for Dario Saric, a center who hasn't played a minute since the third game of the season.
Moving Ellis has to bring a better return, or Kings fans will revolt. It won't be as bad as Mavericks' fans after the Luka trade, but it still won't be pretty. Out of all the trades Sacramento is about to make, this is the one that has absolutely no room for error.