NBA Rumors on Keon Ellis' Trade Value amid Zach LaVine, Sabonis, Kings Deadline Buzz

The Sacramento Kings are reportedly seeing a spike in trade interest surrounding Keon Ellis as the team prepares to potentially sell ahead of the Feb. 5 trade deadline.

According to The Athletic's Sam Vecenie, "Ellis is the King who has received the most interest on the trade market to this point, per league sources."

Vecenie wrote this interest is "largely because of a combination of his contract and perceived value."

Ellis will turn 26 in January. He is playing on an expiring contract with a cap hit of just $2.3 million this season, per Spotrac.

Although he is set to hit unrestricted free agency in 2026, whichever team has Ellis on their roster at the end of the season could use his Early Bird Rights in order to exceed the salary cap by retaining him.

Ellis is contributing 5.5 points, 1.4 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game while averaging 17.6 minutes and mostly coming off the bench through 25 games this season. He's also recording a defensive rating of 116.1, per NBA.com stats.

Vecenie wrote that questions about why the Kings have limited Ellis' playing time so far this season could keep his trade value "to a couple of second-rounders."

That matches a recent estimate from ESPN's Bobby Marks, who said in a Wednesday appearance on Sactown Sports 1140 it was "unlikely" moving Ellis could net the Kings a first-rounder.

Marks noted, however, that the Kings could benefit by trading with a team currently slated to draft high in the upcoming second round.

"I think, if you're looking at multiple seconds, you certainly would want something good," Marks said Wednesday. "You know, for example, New York's got multiple good Washington seconds. Those almost equate to kind of a late first-round pick, as far as where you see the Wizards are."

The Kings are off to a 6-21 start to the season that has the franchise sitting alongside the Los Angeles Clippers and New Orleans Pelicans at the bottom of the Western Conference.

That could lead Sacramento to consider trading other players including Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan at the deadline. Considering that both those starters come with high cap hits and potential additional seasons on their contracts, however, moving Ellis might be the easiest bet for the Kings as the franchise looks to stock up for a rebuild.