Keon Ellis Trade Would Help Address Lakers' Biggest Issue amid NBA Rumors

The Los Angeles Lakers have bigger worries than their 15-5 record would indicate.

Because despite having the NBA's third-highest winning percentage, this club sits just 13th in net rating, per NBA.com. Improving that position—which is arguably a greater indicator of a team's overall performance—requires getting more help defensively, where the team checks in at a worrisome 18th in efficiency.

And since the makeup of this roster always suggested that defense could be a challenge, the Lakers likely need to look outside the organization to fix this problem. Luckily, there happens to be a plug-and-play stopper who appears readily available.

The player in question is Sacramento Kings fourth-year guard Keon Ellis. While his trade market could be robust with "many teams" already expressing interest, per HoopsHype's Michael Scotto, it's hard to imagine Sacramento setting a steep asking price when it has greatly reduced Ellis' role for some reason.

Between his relentless on-ball defense and career 42.8 percent splash rate from three, he's the kind of player you'd think would be hard to keep off the floor. In reality, though, the Kings are allotting him just 16.6 minutes per outing—his least amount of floor time since becoming a rotation regular in 2022-23.

And this isn't obviously performance-related, either. While his scoring and assist numbers are down, he's still shooting 41.5 percent from range and making this defense 4.5 points stingier per 100 possessions than it plays without him.

Given Sacramento's pressing needs for defense and long-distance shot-making, it's hard to make sense of Ellis' diminished role. But that's a problem for the Kings to figure out.

For the Lakers, who are expected to have interest in him, per Forbes' Evan Sidery, they have to be sensing a real buying opportunity here.

They need everything Ellis could provide. His defense and spacing are obvious need-fillers, but his speed and athleticism would address problem areas for the Purple and Gold, too.

Luka Dončić might be the best-conditioned of his career, but he's hardly a burner. Austin Reaves isn't blowing anyone away with explosiveness. And LeBron James, who turns 41 later this month, might finally be feeling some gravitational pull.

While that trio has all the makings of an offensive juggernaut still, there are clear defensive concerns at play, too. The sample size is small (91 minutes over five games), but the early returns have been disastrous on the defensive end: 120.6 defensive rating, which would be the league's fourth-worst mark overall.

The Lakers have to address this. Even if they're playing a bit above their heads, their star power alone should place them somewhere in the championship conversation. And if they can balance the supporting cast just right, maybe they're a primary talking point in those discussions.

It's on the front office to find out, at least. Especially when acquiring a clear upgrade like Ellis shouldn't break the bank.