While the Sacramento Kings didn't make the big moves fans were hoping for at the trade deadline, they did manage to re-home Dennis Schroder and Keon Ellis. Now with the Cavaliers, both players seem to be happier, especially Schroder, who had some thoughts on his short run in Sacramento.
As is often the case with the trade deadline, the offseason, and any other time NBA teams shift players around, Dennis Schroder was on the move. This time, he headed to Cleveland after just over half a difficult and unproductive season with the Kings, a change he's quite happy about.
It was a different situation for Keon Ellis. He's in his fourth season and has been with the Kings the entire time. This is his first trade, but it was also necessary from his perspective. Sacramento had made it quite clear that they weren't going to do much with him. Ellis needed a fresh start.
Dennis Schroder steal & Keon Ellis three —
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) February 5, 2026
Cavs new additions already making an impact. 🔥🔥
pic.twitter.com/1smsK8JOe9
It's not hard to imagine that moving to the Cavaliers was a breath of fresh air for both Schroder and Ellis. They went from the worst team in the league to a team that's in fourth place in the East and has the potential for a deep playoff run. Well, assuming James Harden doesn't epically choke yet again.
Schroder makes his feelings on the Kings quite clear
The two former Sacramento players made their Cavs debut on the road against the LA Clippers on February 4th. Cleveland dominated the game, winning 124 to 91. After spending time with the Kings, both Schroder and Ellis are more used to seeing blowouts like that from the other side.
#Cavs Dennis Schroder on holding LA to 91 points Wednesday: "Holding them under 50 points in a half, we didn’t have that in Sac for a long time. A really competitive group here that wants to play defense, share the ball and play fast. I love it. I feel comfortable already"
— Chris Fedor (@ChrisFedor) February 5, 2026
In his post-game comments, Schroder made it quite clear how he feels about playing for the Cavaliers and the differences between the Cleveland and Sacramento teams. Some people took it as a dig, but nothing he said was inaccurate in any way, shape, or form. It was just hard truths.
On top of that, both players had sold games. Schroder finished with 11 points, two rebounds, six assists, and three steals. Ellis collected six points, three rebounds, and two steals. Both of them had huge defensive impacts, which is why they were brought in to Cleveland.
Neither Keon Ellis nor Dennis Schroder is a superstar, but they are talented players who can make a difference when utilized correctly. And that is exactly what Sacramento wasn't doing. In their first game with Cleveland, fans got a better look at what they are capable of, especially Ellis.