Overview
- ESPN floated a small deal sending Sacramento’s Keon Ellis to the Lakers for Dalton Knecht and a 2032 second-round pick, framing Ellis as a fit for LA’s perimeter-defense needs.
- Reporting from The Athletic links the Knicks to Ellis and Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado, with notes that Sacramento may seek a late first-round pick for Ellis rather than a modest return.
- Ellis has logged fluctuating minutes with the Kings and is in the final year of a low-cost deal around $2.3 million, adding appeal for cap-conscious contenders ahead of his free agency.
- The Lakers have explored higher-end wings such as Herb Jones and Trey Murphy III, but multiple reports indicate New Orleans is signaling a price of multiple first-round picks.
- Los Angeles’ leverage is limited by having only one tradable first-round pick and by a defense that has slipped into the bottom tier by recent metrics, heightening urgency as the deadline nears.