Keon Ellis Trade Talks Intensify, Cavs Among Suitors
Since Marc Stein reported over the weekend that Keon Ellis appears to be the player most likely to be moved at the February 5 deadline, trade talks involving the Kings guard have only intensified, Stein and his colleague Jake Fischer said on Friday (Twitter link).
According to Fischer (Twitter link), Sacramento is “sifting through” a number of trade scenarios involving Ellis, some of which would involve him being packaged with a higher-salary veteran such as DeMar DeRozan or Malik Monk.
A three-and-D guard who has a career three-point percentage of 41.4% and a team-friendly cap hit of $2.3MM, Ellis has seen inconsistent playing time during his stint with the Kings and has faced questions about his size and his ability to slow down bigger guards. However, he’s viewed as an intriguing target for teams in need of defensive help, with Sacramento reportedly seeking a late first-round pick.
Because Ellis’ cap hit is so modest, nearly any team in the NBA could put together an offer for him. Stein stated earlier this week that about 14 clubs had registered interest, and reports in recent weeks have provided at least a partial list of those clubs — the Timberwolves, Pacers, Celtics, Knicks, Lakers, Clippers, Bucks, and Warriors have all been linked to Ellis since mid-January.
According to Stein and Fischer, the Cavaliers are also among the teams with an eye on Ellis, who will become eligible for a contract extension on February 9 and would reach unrestricted free agency this summer if he doesn’t sign a new deal before then.
As a second-apron team, Cleveland wouldn’t be able to acquire Ellis without sending out a player who has a larger cap hit. Lonzo Ball ($10MM) is among the Cavs’ trade candidates, as is De’Andre Hunter ($23.3MM), but there’s not a lower-salary player on the roster who would make sense as an obvious outgoing piece in an Ellis deal unless the club is willing to move Dean Wade ($6.6MM).
For what it’s worth, Monk and Ellis make a combined $21MM, so Cleveland could theoretically take both players back in a trade involving Hunter. DeRozan’s cap hit ($24.6MM) rules him out as an incoming piece for the Cavs in a Hunter deal.
Knicks Rumors: KAT, Giannis, Yabusele, Targets, Bridges
The Knicks reportedly spoke to the Bucks about a possible Giannis Antetokounmpo trade last offseason after the two-time MVP identified New York as a preferred landing spot, but those talks didn’t go anywhere. That could be partly because Karl-Anthony Towns was rumored to be the Knicks’ outgoing salary, and some people around the league don’t highly value the former No. 1 overall pick.
“I don’t think there is a [trade] market for KAT,” an NBA executive told Stefan Bondy of The New York Post (subscriber link). “Not that he is a bad player, but he’s not a winning player. … It’s too much money to spend on him.”
Knicks sources tell Sam Amick of The Athletic that the offseason trade talks involving the two big men created “hard feelings” between Towns and the front office that “remain to this day.”
For his part, Towns downplayed his name being involved in recent trade chatter, Bondy writes in another story. The five-time All-Star has known Leon Rose for years, as the Knicks’ president was Towns’ former agent at CAA, but they haven’t spoken about any of the speculation.
“I feel like I’ve been in trade rumors a lot for a lot of times, for a year damn near. That don’t matter to me,” said Towns, who was traded from the Timberwolves to the Knicks before last season. “I don’t look at social media or none of that stuff. I focus on the job on hand which is trying to get wins every single night. As long as I do that, I do my job, I go home happy and I feel accomplished. I’m not worried about what anybody got to say or people write or anything like that.”
Here are a few more rumors and notes from New York:
- According to Bondy, the Knicks remain highly interested in Antetokounmpo, but Milwaukee is reportedly looking for “blue-chip young talent” and several draft picks in any deal involving the nine-time All-NBA forward, and New York simply lacks the necessary assets to have a competitive bid compared to other teams, which control their future first-round picks. Unless Antetokounmpo specifically requests to be traded to the Knicks, they’re a “long shot” to land him, says Bondy. Of course, even if Giannis does prefer to play in New York, the Bucks aren’t obligated to fulfill the request. New York’s odds of landing Antetokounmpo would theoretically improve in the offseason, Bondy notes, when the team will have two first-round picks to trade, as opposed to the top-eight protected 2026 first-round pick the Knicks currently control from the Wizards that will likely turn into two second-rounders.
- The Knicks are still actively looking to unload Guerschon Yabusele‘s contract and have been talking to multiple teams about possible trades, Bondy reports (subscription required). Bondy continues to hear Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado is on the team’s radar, and confirms Yves Missi is as well. Kings guard Keon Ellis is another player who has fans in the Knicks organization, a source tells Bondy.
- Yabusele, a french forward/center, holds a $5.8MM player option for next season. When asked about the possibility of returning to the EuroLeague at some point, Yabusele didn’t rule it out but said his focus is on the NBA, per Toni Canyameras of Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo (Twitter video link). “I feel like that’s a good question,” Yabusele said. “I definitely don’t know what tomorrow is going to be like or anything like that. But I never close my door on anything. Obviously it was so [difficult to make it back] to the NBA [that I’m focused on staying] in the NBA, but we will see what opportunities present themselves. There’s definitely going to be a conversation to have, and [we’ll] see what the [European options are]. We will see. I will never say never [to a potential return].”
- Veteran wing Mikal Bridges has been in a slump for most of the past month, but he torched the Raptors in Wednesday’s win at Toronto, finishing with 30 points on 12-of-15 shooting in 36 minutes. Bridges, a Philadelphia native who played college ball at Villanova, struggled in Saturday’s loss in Philly, scoring just nine points on 3-of-16 shooting. He said that game served as something of a wake-up call (Twitter video link via Knicks on MSG). “I think a lot of it comes from not just shooting the ball, I think I just wasn’t playing how I was supposed to be playing. I think I wasn’t coachable enough,” Bridges said. “I don’t know what it was. Maybe I felt too much entitlement. Just kinda had to talk to myself a little bit about it and just be coachable and be the best teammate I can be and let the basketball speak for itself.”
Pacific Rumors: Lakers, Clippers, Kings, Sabonis, Suns
Lakers forward Rui Hachimura and his expiring $18.3MM contract are considered available as Los Angeles scours the market for help on the wing, according to reports from Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times, Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link), and Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. The team has also dangled Gabe Vincent ($11.5MM) and Maxi Kleber ($11MM) on the trade market, Scotto notes.
Turner and Scotto provide a long list of names viewed as potential Lakers targets, including Cavaliers forward De’Andre Hunter, Mavericks forward Naji Marshall, Pelicans forward Saddiq Bey, Timberwolves guard Donte DiVincenzo, Kings guard Keon Ellis, and several players who have previously been linked to L.A., like Herbert Jones, Andrew Wiggins, and Jonathan Kuminga.
According to Turner, Hachimura’s strong play as of late has increased his trade value while also potentially making him less expendable for the Lakers. Turner confirms that second-year wing Dalton Knecht is another potential trade candidate to watch, as Marc Stein reported in the past 24 hours.
Here’s more from around the Pacific:
- The red-hot Clippers aren’t looking to trade Kawhi Leonard, James Harden, or Ivica Zubac, but John Collins isn’t off limits, according to Turner. Sources tell the L.A. Times that acquiring a pick-and-roll oriented point guard and creating room on the roster to promote two-way players Kobe Sanders and Jordan Miller are among the Clippers’ goals at the trade deadline.
- The Kings have had discussions with some teams about the possibility of packaging DeMar DeRozan and Ellis together in a trade, sources tell HoopsHype. Scotto also checks in on the Domantas Sabonis situation, reporting that at least one team was told Sacramento would be seeking at least one first-round pick in return for the big man. In talks with the Raptors about Sabonis, RJ Barrett and Ochai Agbaji have been discussed, but the Kings are resistant to taking on the pricey long-term contracts of Jakob Poeltl and/or Immanuel Quickley, Scotto adds.
- Confirming reporting from the Arizona Republic, Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link) says the Suns are on the lookout for an upgrade at power forward, in the hopes of finding a player who can provide more “scoring punch” than current starter Royce O’Neale. However, Phoenix isn’t just looking for a short-term rental, per Fischer, who writes that the front office will be mindful of the long-term price and fit of any acquisition.
Raptors Among Teams Eyeing Yves Missi
Pelicans center Yves Missi is among the potential targets on the Raptors‘ radar as they seek frontcourt help at the trade deadline, reports Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints.
With starting center Jakob Poeltl having battled back problems all season long, Toronto is believed to be looking to fortify its depth chart at the five while also ducking below the luxury tax line. The team, which is operating about $1MM into the tax, has been linked to big men like Daniel Gafford, Goga Bitadze, Day’Ron Sharpe, and Nick Richards over the course of the season.
The Raptors have also been connected to star-caliber bigs such as Anthony Davis of the Mavericks and Domantas Sabonis of the Kings, but they haven’t gained real traction on either front, sources tell Siegel, and they’re probably more inclined to make a smaller move.
At 29-19 (fourth in the East), Toronto has exceeded expectations so far this season, and Siegel suggests head coach Darko Rajakovic and the Raptors’ players have conveyed to management that they’d prefer if the roster isn’t shaken up too significantly.
A player like Missi would appeal to the Raptors – and other suitors – due to his modest salary ($3.4MM) and his favorable contract, which includes a $3.5MM salary for 2026/27 and a $5.6MM team option for ’27/28. The 21st overall pick in the 2024 draft, Missi started 67 games and averaged 26.8 minutes per game for New Orleans as a rookie, but has primarily come off the bench this season and has seen his MPG dip to 19.2.
Missi’s precise value on the trade market is unclear. According to Siegel, the consensus around the NBA is that the Pelicans will have to settle for multiple second-round draft picks if they move him. However, Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link) hears New Orleans wants to land a 2026 first-rounder for Missi and has already turned down at least one offer centered around second-round selections.
Toronto has also explored the idea of acquiring Missi as part of a larger package, per Siegel, who says the Raptors brought up the idea of offering RJ Barrett, Ochai Agbaji, and draft picks for Missi and Trey Murphy III. However, the Pelicans – who have been averse to the idea of trading Murphy at all – didn’t have interest in that framework.
The Pacers, Knicks, and Bulls are among the other teams previously reported to have expressed interest in Missi. According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, the Hawks, Celtics, and Lakers are also in that group of potential suitors.
Stein’s Latest: Sochan, Knecht, Pelicans, Kessler, Towns, Ellis, Dinwiddie
The Spurs have given Jeremy Sochan and his representatives permission to explore a potential trade, league sources tell Marc Stein of The Stein Line (subscription required).
Sochan was selected with the ninth pick in the 2022 draft and was a consistent starter during his first two seasons in San Antonio. He has been pushed out of the rotation as the team has improved and has only appeared in 27 games this season, averaging 4.2 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 13.1 minutes per night. Shooting continues to be an issue for the 22-year-old power forward, who is only connecting at 46.9% from the field and 28.7% from three-point range for his career.
The Knicks have been speculated as a potential Sochan suitor in their search for low-cost frontcourt help. He has a $7.1MM expiring contract and will be a restricted free agent this summer if he receives a qualifying offer.
Stein shares more inside information from around the league:
- Second-year Lakers small forward Dalton Knecht could also be on the move, according to Stein. He was a first-round pick in 2024, but is only seeing 12.5 minutes per night in 36 games this season and hasn’t played at all outside of garbage time over the past two weeks. Knecht was sent to Charlotte at last year’s deadline as part of a Mark Williams deal that was later rescinded.
- The Pelicans are seeking a “Desmond Bane-type offer” to part with Trey Murphy III or Herbert Jones, Stein states. Memphis received four future first-round picks and a first-round pick swap when Bane was sent to Orlando last summer. While New Orleans continues to flounder at the bottom of the West, both players are under long-term contracts, so there’s no urgency to move them.
- League sources tell Stein that the Jazz are confident about re-signing center Walker Kessler, who’s out for the season following left shoulder surgery. The Wizards are expected to pursue Kessler to team with Alex Sarr, according to Stein, but Utah will be able to match any offer for the restricted free agent.
- Teams around the league are watching the Knicks to see if they’re willing to consider moving Karl-Anthony Towns before the deadline or if they’re holding onto him as an asset for a potential Giannis Antetokounmpo trade, Stein adds.
- Stein hears that an estimated 14 teams have expressed interest in Kings guard Keon Ellis. In an earlier column, Stein cited Ellis as possibly the most likely player to be traded before the deadline.
- Former NBA guard Spencer Dinwiddie said on a recent podcast that he’s interested in signing with the Rockets, Stein relays. Dinwiddie is a free agent after parting ways with Bayern Munich earlier this month, but Stein states that Houston is unlikely to consider any signings until the deadline passes.
Kings Rumors: Ellis, Poeltl, Kuminga, DeRozan, LaVine
A “ton” of teams have called the Kings to inquire about Keon Ellis, according to James Ham of Locked On Kings (YouTube link), who identifies the Timberwolves, Pacers, Celtics, and Knicks as a few of the clubs his sources suggest are worth monitoring as suitors for the fourth-year guard.
“From what I have heard, (they) have all called on Keon Ellis,” Ham said.
Ellis is an intriguing trade candidate because his $2.3MM expiring contract makes him an attainable piece for just about any NBA team, including clubs like Minnesota, Boston, and New York, who are operating above the first tax apron. If he’s dealt, Ellis’ Bird rights would travel with him and he’d become extension-eligible on February 9, just a few days after the trade deadline.
One weekend report suggested Ellis is among the players most likely to be moved at the deadline, with the Kings said to be seeking a late first-round pick.
Here’s more on the Kings:
- Discussing the possibility of the Raptors making a play for center Domantas Sabonis, Ham said the Kings have “zero interest” in acquiring big man Jakob Poeltl, who has battled back issues this season and is under contract through 2029/30 (YouTube link). “‘We’re not getting into the Jakob Poeltl business’ is what I was told,” Ham said, though he observed that the same source didn’t say anything about the Kings not getting into the “RJ Barrett business.” Barrett was drafted by the Knicks when current Kings general manager Scott Perry was in New York’s front office.
- Responding to speculation that the Raptors would seek Ellis along with Sabonis in a trade with the Kings, Ham says a source told him “unequivocally” that Toronto and Sacramento haven’t discussed Ellis to this point.
- The Kings are no longer willing to include any draft picks in a trade offer Jonathan Kuminga, but they remain interested in the Warriors forward, Ham confirms (YouTube link). “I do know for a fact that the Sacramento Kings have offered, in the past, DeMar DeRozan straight up for Jonathan Kuminga,” Ham said. Golden State would need to include one more player in that hypothetical deal in order to stay below its hard cap, but it doesn’t sound like the Warriors have real interest in DeRozan anyway.
- Zach LaVine would “absolutely love to move on from Sacramento,” according to Ham (YouTube link), though his maximum-salary contract will be a major impediment. Ham suggests there was a “ray of hope” about a potential deal with the Bucks involving Kyle Kuzma and Bobby Portis, but that outcome seems less likely as a result of Milwaukee’s recent struggles and Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s latest calf strain.
Kings’ DeRozan Discusses Trade Rumors, Desire To Contend
When DeMar DeRozan joined the Kings in the summer of 2024, the team was coming off 48- and 46-win seasons and was looking to take another step toward contention. Instead, the team endured a difficult 2024/25 season that included a head coaching change, a De’Aaron Fox trade, and a sub-.500 record. This season has been even worse, with Sacramento off to 12-35 start and not close to a playoff spot.
While DeRozan isn’t pushing for a change of scenery, the 36-year-old made it clear in a conversation with Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee that he’d like to be playing more meaningful games, especially since he’s not sure how many more seasons he has left in the NBA.
“For me, it’s not like I’m playing another 10 years, so you definitely want to maximize your time and give everything you’ve got left to playing for something,” DeRozan said. “I don’t think that part of it is a secret, whether it’s here or wherever.”
DeRozan has changed teams three times in his NBA career, twice in a sign-and-trade and once in a standard trade. However, he has never been involved in a mid-season deal. That’s a real possibility this season, with the Kings looking ahead to the future and reportedly open to inquiries on most of their veterans, including DeRozan, Zach LaVine, and Malik Monk.
“When things ain’t going right, that’s what happens,” DeRozan said of the trade rumors. “When you’re not winning, that’s what happens. It just comes with the game. You’ve still got to go out there, do your job and compete. We’ve still got to separate that part of it, still have a love for the game and still go out there and compete.”
DeRozan continues to be a valuable offensive weapon in his 17th NBA season, having averaged 18.8 points per game on .506/.351/.870 shooting. Those shooting percentages are all well above his career rates. His contract is also relatively team-friendly — he’s earning $24.6MM this season and his 2026/27 salary isn’t fully guaranteed.
Still, there have always been questions about DeRozan’s defense, and his deal does include a $10MM partial guarantee for ’26/27, which would compromise a team’s flexibility to some extent. Those factors could work against the Kings getting a trade offer they like for the veteran wing.
While he waits to see if he’ll be on the move on or before February 5, DeRozan says he’s committed to doing what he can to help Sacramento turn things around.
“I think everybody understands you want to have an opportunity to compete, an opportunity to win, but you have to go about the situation the right way,” he told Anderson. “Granted, it’s tough right now. Nobody wishes to have this record we have, but I’ve always been the one to stick through the hard times. It’s always easy to say you want to be in a better situation, but you’ve got to deal with the cards that are dealt and make the best out of them.”
Trade Rumors: Kuminga, Kings, Lakers, Rockets, Bulls
While Jonathan Kuminga is still very much on the trade block, Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. remains unwilling to make a bad deal just to satisfy the forward’s trade demand, writes Anthony Slater of ESPN. According to Slater, multiple team sources have suggested to ESPN that Kuminga is less likely to be dealt in the wake of Jimmy Butler‘s season-ending ACL tear.
While that could just be posturing from a front office looking to regain leverage, there will presumably be less urgency in Golden State to make a win-now move using Kuminga’s salary, since Butler’s injury significantly limits the team’s ceiling this season. Additionally, head coach Steve Kerr spoke multiple times in the past about how he found it difficult to play Kuminga alongside Butler and Draymond Green due to spacing concerns — with Butler sidelined, there’s a clearer path to regular minutes for Kuminga.
On top of that, it remains to be seen whether any teams will make a serious play for Kuminga prior to the February 5 deadline. The Kings have been his top suitor for several months, but the Warriors have maintained that they aren’t interested in taking back a player owed money beyond this season, such as Malik Monk or DeMar DeRozan, Slater writes.
According to Slater, some Warriors sources are optimistic that Kuminga will be able to return from his knee injury and rejoin the rotation prior to the trade deadline, before the team has to make a decision on his future.
We have more trade rumors from around the NBA:
- Dave McMenamin of ESPN confirms that the Lakers have explored the possibility of trading their lone tradable first-round pick (in either 2031 or 2032) for multiple less valuable first-rounders, as previously reported. Phoenix made a similar move last season in a deal with Utah. The idea would be to give the Lakers more flexibility to make multiple trades using first-round picks, rather than waiting for the perfect opportunity to use their most valuable remaining draft asset.
- The Rockets raised eyebrows last summer when they made Clint Capela a priority in free agency, adding the veteran center to a frontcourt that already featured Alperen Sengun and Steven Adams. But with Adams facing an extended injury absence, Houston is once again mulling the possibility of adding another big man, either on the trade market or in the buyout market, Kelly Iko of Yahoo Sports reports. The Rockets have a top-five offense this season in large part due to their NBA-best offensive rebounding numbers, which have been fueled by bigger lineups.
- While the Bulls have widely been regarded as probable deadline sellers, they’re only 1.5 games out of a top-six seed in the Eastern Conference playoff race, and Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report has heard from multiple sources that Chicago would like to improve its playoff chances this season. The Bulls also want to add young, athletic players who can become part of their core alongside Josh Giddey and Matas Buzelis, Pincus adds.
- In an expansive trade deadline primer, ESPN’s Bobby Marks divides the NBA’s 30 teams into eight tiers, breaking down how each club will approach the deadline, along with their most notable assets.
Injury Notes: Curry, Edwards, Avdija, LaVine, Monk
Warriors star Stephen Curry scored 26 points in 28 minutes during Sunday’s blowout win at Minnesota and was cautiously optimistic after the game about suiting up for Monday’s rematch with the Wolves (Twitter video link via Warriors on NBCS). However, he played through some pain in his right knee, tweets ESPN’s Anthony Slater, and was ultimately ruled out for the second end of a back-to-back.
Steve Kerr said Curry’s knee injury isn’t serious, according to Nick Friedell of The Athletic (Twitter link), and Golden State’s head coach is hopeful the 37-year-old guard will be active for Wednesday’s contest in Utah.
Here are a few more injury updates from around the NBA:
- Star guard Anthony Edwards was downgraded to questionable and then out for Monday’s eventual win over Golden State due to right foot injury management, the Timberwolves announced (via Twitter). According to Chris Hine of The Star Tribune (Twitter link), Edwards went through a pregame warmup and was ruled out shortly thereafter. “It was news to me, honestly,” head coach Chris Finch said after the game (Twitter link via Hine). “He had pain from the foot that’s been troubling him.” When asked if Edwards would be available for both ends of Minnesota’s back-to-back later this week, Finch said he wasn’t sure, Hine adds (via Twitter).
- Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija missed Monday’s loss to Boston, his second straight absence, but he’s expected to return to action on Tuesday at Washington, tweets Sean Highkin of The Rose Garden Report. Avdija aggravated a back injury last week and interim head coach Tiago Splitter explained the team gave him an extra day of rest on Monday as a precaution.
- Kings guards Zach LaVine (lower back soreness) and Malik Monk (right ankle soreness) are questionable for Tuesday’s contest vs. New York, per Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee (Twitter link). LaVine was out for Sunday’s loss in Detroit due to the back issue, while Monk played 22 minutes, scoring 19 points in the process.
Stein’s Latest: Morant, Ellis, Marshall, Antetokounmpo, Bulls
The Grizzlies are still very open to trade offers on Ja Morant, who is expected to miss at least three weeks with an elbow sprain, Marc Stein writes in his latest column for The Stein Line (Substack link).
However, those hoping to buy low on the often-injured star point guard may have to recalibrate, as Stein reports that there is internal pressure facing the team to bring back more than the favorable contracts that the Hawks got in return for Trae Young.
Stein also speculates that, should Morant stay on the team past the trade deadline, there could be some level of friction between Morant and the Grizzlies’ head of basketball operations, Zach Kleiman. As Stein explains, in addition to making it clear that Morant was available, Kleiman backed coach Tuomas Iisalo when the point guard and coach butted heads earlier in the season. The team also didn’t offer the two-time All-Star an extension last offseason when he became eligible.
Morant has played just 20 games this season and is averaging a career-low 28.5 minutes per night, though he has matched his career high as a facilitator, dishing out 8.1 assists per game.
We have more from Stein’s latest newsletter:
- Keon Ellis has emerged as perhaps the most likely player to be traded at the deadline, Stein writes. Ellis has struggled to keep a consistent spot in the Kings‘ rotation, but reports have nevertheless indicated that there are a handful of teams targeting the defensive-minded guard, which has led Sacramento to set an asking price of a first-round pick for him. According to Stein, some sources believe that the Kings trading Ellis is almost certain to happen.
- Stein confirms previous reports that the Mavericks highly value Naji Marshall as a part of their post-Luka Doncic core, but that doesn’t mean Marshall is untouchable. Stein writes that the starting point on any trade offer for the versatile wing must be a first-round pick, as far as Dallas is concerned. He adds that Max Christie is another valued member of the core moving forward, and the team is focused on securing him a spot in the three-point contest, not finding a deal to move him.
- The Giannis Antetokounmpo trade landscape continues to be murky, especially following the announcement that he is likely to miss extended time due to a calf injury. According to Stein, multiple teams are still engaging with the Bucks in trade talks in the hopes of landing him at the trade deadline, injury notwithstanding.
- The Bulls are strongly expected to make a move involving one of their guards, Stein writes, with Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu the two most likely players to be on the move. He confirms Jake Fischer’s previous report that Nikola Vucevic could very well play out the season with the Bulls and depart in free agency this summer.