According to James Ham of The Kings Beat, the Indiana Pacers, along with the Boston Celtics, New York Knicks, and Minnesota Timberwolves, are interested in acquiring Sacramento Kings guard Keon Ellis ahead of next week's trade deadline.
Ellis isn't a superstar, but he's a very intriguing player. His role in Sacramento this season has been very up and down, but nobody really knows why. Ellis is incredibly talented and is a fantastic 3-and-D guy (he is shooting 41.4% from deep and averaging 1.1 steals per game in his career, for some context). Additionally, he plays with a lot of energy and has a high motor.
Ham's report isn't the first time the idea of Ellis to Indiana this season has come up as Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reported on it back in November, meaning that there could be some truth to this.
The Pacers could have a busy trade deadline ahead of them. And as it stands, that may include potentially stealing the Florida native away from the Kings.
Should the Pacers trade for Keon Ellis?
There's a lot to like about Ellis and what he brings to the table. And given that the Kings don't want him around for whatever reason, it probably wouldn't be that difficult for Indiana to acquire him.
The 26-year-old is set to hit unrestricted free agency in the offseason, so there is a bit of risk involved in any trade for him. But trading for him might be worth looking into for the Pacers anyway.
Having a 3-and-D player like Ellis coming off the bench would be huge for Indiana. He is a good shooter who plays with a lot of effort and would be a fantastic fit alongside playmakers like Tyrese Haliburton, Andrew Nembhard, and T.J. McConnell.
Furthermore, Ellis wouldn't demand a big role for the Pacers. He's not a threat to steal anybody's starting job, but that doesn't mean he can't provide a lot of value coming off the bench. And given how important depth is in Indiana, Ellis wouldn't just be some minor acquisition.
It seems that the Pacers aren't the only team looking into acquiring Ellis, meaning that there could be some type of bidding war for him. Obviously, the team should only trade for him if the price is right (especially given his contract situation), but this would be a sneaky good move that could pay dividends for them as they look to re-enter the title picture next season.