The Los Angeles Lakers and the Golden State Warriors were presented as active players this offseason. While the Purple and Gold have made the necessary roster upgrades, the Dubs are yet to make any noteworthy moves thus far.
A trend that has been seen from both teams has been their approach towards improving their defense. The Lakers have shown some initiative in this department with the signing of Marcus Smart, spurred by the recruitment efforts of their superstar Luka Doncic.
Meanwhile, there is a growing expectation that Golden State will complete the signing of a capable defensive guard in De’Anthony Melton, along with a solid veteran big man in Al Horford.
With defense becoming the theme, recent reports have suggested that both teams have shown an interest in Sacramento Kings guard Keon Ellis.
Ellis is coming off his third season in the NBA. At 25 years old, he displayed immense talent as a point of attack defender for the Kings. With an average of 1.5 steals per game, he proved to be a disruptive defensive presence.
While his offensive output was limited last season, as he averaged 8.3 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game, he showed incredible perimeter shooting ability with an average of 43.3% from beyond the arc.
The Warriors’ interest in Ellis was reported by Forbes’ Evan Sidery, who wrote:
“The Warriors recently expressed interest in Keon Ellis, who the Kings have kept off limits in ongoing sign-and-trade negotiations involving Jonathan Kuminga.”
Golden State has had a complicated offseason with Jonathan Kuminga. Although the 22-year-old forward has requested a trade, the team is hesitant to move him.
At the current juncture, the Warriors are expected to retain him, with the expectation that they will complete a trade before the deadline.
Sidery’s report doesn’t present a positive outlook for the Warriors to acquire Ellis. Considering that Sacramento’s initial package for Kuminga included Devin Carter and a handful of second-round picks, it is abundantly clear that the Dubs could do better.
Los Angeles’ chances of acquiring the Kings guard will improve, as the road ahead for Golden State becomes increasingly challenging. With this in mind, however, the Lakers’ rumored trade package for the Kings seems interesting.
To acquire Ellis, the Purple and Gold are said to package a solid veteran contributor in Gabe Vincent, along with a crucial 2032 second-round pick. While this package seems to work on paper, the Lakers may be ‘overpaying’ in salary to land the 25-year-old.
The value of Vincent’s contract at $11.5 million is significantly greater than Ellis’ $2.3 million next season. In addition to this, the Purple and Gold are sweetening the deal with a second-round pick.
While this deal may have some benefits for the Lakers, the Kings may not do it.
Sacramento has shown a lot of faith in their young guard. Although it is difficult to make sense of what direction the franchise is headed in, it wouldn’t be wise for them to give up Ellis for Vincent at this stage.
This deal also raises questions for the Lakers. With the addition of Smart, the Purple and Gold have acquired a proficient point-of-attack defender. The profile for Ellis is quite similar to Smart’s, making the acquisition somewhat unnecessary.
Instead, the Lakers are expected to show an interest in trading for either additional defensive support or outside shooting, with Jrue Holiday and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope emerging as targets.
With a clear focus on fitting an offensive system driven by Luka Doncic, Los Angeles may prioritize spacing and two-way wings over overlapping profiles. Meanwhile, Golden State will continue its pursuit of reliable big men and wing playmakers to fill out their roster.
