2025-26 Team Developments: Trades / Free Agents / News / Rumors / Ideas

Ellis is ideal. The problem is the Kings know we need him.

at this point we could get Malik Monk for a bottle of beer.

 

We need Luka to do some more (but on the sly) recruitin’. To Ellis who >>> his agent >>> Sac, “Trade me to Lakers only or lose me for nothing.

 

that's the problem--the only dead weight salary we have is vando (i love him, but he's dead weight salary). so the nothing we'd move has value.

feel like if ellis wanted to be here, his agent could make it happen by simply saying he's seen our cap space in the summer and likes the fit. i'm wondering if that hasn't been stated already, and it's a game of chicken. i don't know what we're offering, so it's hard to say who's being dumb/overconfident right now. possible we're lowballing, possible they're treating him like he's herb jones from two years ago in trade talks.

 

I think you’re onto something. Maybe that’s why Malik Monk started getting these DNPs. And then Ellis started getting major minutes like 30 minutes. Maybe they’re appeasing there playing time. His playing time.

 

whatever it is, the kings will bungle it. my guess is they don't want to see him succeed with us, so they'll do anything but move him here. to their own detriment.

i do think his contract situation makes things more complicated, though. he's going to get more than 140% of the mle (imo) this summer, so trade/extends are out (unless he chooses his destination). so any team trading for him could lose him to a cap space team (which right now includes us). on the other hand, his bird rights transfer, and his cap hold is tiny. to me, there's one specific team for whom this would really matter: US! this is why i'd give up the picks here. we'd have both ellis and reaves on lower-than-value cap holds with space to sign other guys.

 

I feel like Ayo is being over rated by the media, basically because he is more known. Ellis is obscure. Keon is a much better defender and shooter- and he has done it consistently. Ayo has a huge edge in terms of ball handling, passing, scoring in the paint, mid-range (all things that we DONT NEED). Keon provides the things that we actually NEED : defense and 3-pt shooting. Doesn't try to do too much on the offensive end besides shoot threes. Look at their career DBPM and 3-pt shooting, 3-pt shooting volume, per 36 numbers, etc.