Overview

• NBA analysts recommend New York pursue Sacramento’s Keon Ellis to shore up defensive gaps exposed by Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns.
• In 2024–25 Ellis ranked in the 99th percentile for shot contests, 95th for steals per 75 possessions and 98th for blocks per 75 while posting a defensive RAPM of +1.8.
• The 25-year-old guard averaged 8.3 points per game on 43.3 percent three-point shooting and makes just $2 million in the final year of his contract.
• Sacramento’s surplus of shooting guards and roughly $74 million in SG salaries create leverage for the Kings to trade Ellis by the deadline.
• Ellis’s prior stint under coach Mike Brown and his non-ball-dominant style align with the Knicks’ margin-move approach to roster construction.