NBA Mock Trade: Keon Ellis Ships Off to the Lakers for Dalton Knecht
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The list of NBA Trade Candidates runs endless at the time of the year. We are weeks from the deadline, and as we have seen, players fly around the league like a flock of birds. Be sure to stay tuned to all of our mock trades, but today, we look into Keon Ellis of the Sacramento Kings. He is on an expiring contract that means the Kings will be desperate to get anything back for the guy. In this trade, we project him to the Lakers.
Fantasy Basketball Impact
Keon Ellis is a MONSTER point of attack defender...
— Basketball University (@UofBasketball) August 26, 2024
Sacramento had a top 10 defense post-allstar last season & Ellis was a huge reason why. Master deflection/poke-out artist. Full-court pressure bully. Hyper-aglie. Even knocked down a high clip of open 3s. Crucial piece for SAC. pic.twitter.com/ee6LdId7WK
By losing Keon Ellis, the Kings will lose him as a vital defensive presence. However, he will not affect the fantasy basketball valuations within this offense all that much.
Ellis is 2nd on the Kings in Steal Rate and 5th in Block Rate. In Usage Rate, he is 15th. He will not affect the offensive output of Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, are anyone else. If the Kings do trade for a shooter, however, this will affect them a bit.
By the Lakers adding Ellis, this also will not affect their offensive output all that much. As we know, Ellis is a core defensive player. He will not look for many shots. Luka Doncic, LeBron James, and others will remain about the same in fantasy value.
Mock Trade Details
Lakers Receive: Keon Ellis
Kings Receive: Dalton Knecht
Why the Lakers Say Yes
This deal is a no brainer for the Lakers. Ellis commands less than $3 Million in salary and he is an expiring deal. The Lakers commit to nothing here.
The Lakers are currently 5th in the Western Conference at a record of 24-14. It has been said that they can use a defensive upgrade. They rank just 23rd in Defensive Rating. By adding Ellis, he gives them just that as an elite, pestering defender.
Why the Kings Say Yes
The sky is blue, the earth spins around, and the Kings are bad at basketball. What else is new? The Kings are 10-30 and playing for nothing. They might as well make some low-risk gambles to find talent and sell offense.
Ellis is going to be a free agent this offseaaon. It is extremely likely that he does not return to the Kings. Given that scenario, why would you not try to trade him off? Something for nothing...
The Kings have little leverage in a deal. By trading for Dalton Knecht, they get a wing shooter. The King sare 29th in Offensive Rating. Surely, Knecht does not change the game here, but he offers offense for a price of just $4 Million AAV, with another 2-Years of his contract. He is cheap, expendable, and provides a shooting surge worth selling tickets, at worst.
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Thomas Carelli is a sportswriter based on Northern New Jersey. He is a massive New York Jets and Mets fan, but that is not where is sports fandom stops. He loves to watch and play golf, all things football, baseball, and much more. If he can watch it, he will. Thomas graduated from William Paterson University in 2018 with a Bachelor's Degree in Sport Management. He spent 4 years working at a local golf course, volunteered past PGA events, and spent some part-time experience with the New York Jets events team. His passions for sport runs deep and his articles show for it.