For the second time in 2026, former Sacramento King Keon Ellis is on the move. His short stint with the Cleveland Cavaliers is over, and he's on his way to the Brooklyn Nets. The problem is that the Nets are overloaded with guards, leaving some to wonder how long his time in Brooklyn will last.
When he was in Sacramento, Ellis was definitely a fan favorite. They would literally chant for him by name until head coach Doug Christie would finally sub him in. Well, that assumes Christie would actually relent. Sometimes he would just tune them out and leave Ellis on the bench
It was a confusing time for Kings fans. The team was constantly on the lookout for good 3&D players to boost their defensive profile. That was Ellis's game in a nutshell, yet Christie seemed completely disinterested in putting him to work. It wasn't much of a surprise when he was traded.
The Kings' only move at the trade deadline was to send Ellis and Dennis Schroder to the Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for De'Andre Hunter. That same trade shipped Dario Saric to the Bulls, then the Pistons, and then to Europe, effectively ending his NBA career. He's not upset about that at all.
How long will Ellis last on the Nets?
Ellis was only on the Cavs for a few months. He played the last chunk of the regular season and the playoffs, though he didn't get a lot of minutes. That was especially true in the playoffs, which saw him ride the bench most of the time. The end of the season saw him become a free agent.
The Nets have now signed Ellis to a two-year, $18 million deal to play in what will be a crowded backcourt. Counting Ellis, Brooklyn now has 12 guards, some of whom are free agents. They are going to need to make some serious room before this backlog utterly tanks them.
That has to leave Ellis wondering how long it will be until he gets moved again. The Nets have way too many guards, which is part of the reason the Kings traded him in the first place. If Brooklyn comes to the same realization, they might use Ellis as trade capital to broaden their roster a bit.
Hopefully, the Nets become a long-term spot for Ellis to grow and thrive. He's a good player, and he has earned that. At the same time, he could be in for a disappointment as Brooklyn works on their own rebuild and has to make hard decisions about who fits and who doesn't.
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