Ellis contributed 17 points (7-11 FG, 2-6 3Pt, 1-1 FT), three rebounds, one assist and two steals across 33 minutes during Friday's 108-107 loss to Phoenix.
The Kings are trying to find production for the spot abandoned by Kevin Huerter (shoulder), and although players like Harrison Barnes and Keegan Murray have propped things up, the team is looking to Ellis on a nightly basis. He put up 26 points earlier in the week but has been inconsistent over 14 starts. The Alabama product has a reputation as a streaky sharpshooter, and the Kings may need solid three-point runs from him to succeed in their playoff quest.
... See More... See Less
Kings' Keon Ellis: Pours in 26 points
Rotowire
Ellis registered 26 points (9-17 FG, 8-15 3Pt), six rebounds, five assists, two blocks and two steals across 36 minutes during Tuesday's 112-105 loss to Oklahoma City.
With 26 points on the night, Ellis easily set a new career-best mark. He's been a remarkable story for the Kings, and he's stepping up admirably in the absence of Malik Monk (knee) and Kevin Huerter (shoulder). Over his last 10 games, Ellis has averaged 10.1 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.0 steals.
... See More... See Less
Kings' Keon Ellis: Rough night Friday
Rotowire
Ellis finished Friday's 101-100 loss to the Celtics with three points (1-3 FG, 1-1 3Pt), four rebounds and two assists across 17 minutes.
Ellis was a disaster in the loss, managing just 17 minutes despite continuing to start. Although his role remains relatively consistent, the same cannot be said for his production. He is worth considering given the path to minutes but at this point, his lack of upside makes him a tough player to hold.
... See More... See Less
Kings' Keon Ellis: Redeeming line in starting lineup
Rotowire
Ellis closed Friday's 107-103 loss to the Mavericks with 16 points (5-12 FG, 4-9 3Pt, 2-2 FT), six rebounds, one assist and three steals in 38 minutes.
Malik Monk (knee) was forced out of the game in the first quarter, so Eliis had to deal without much bench support. The result was a season-high 38 minutes on the floor, an encouraging sign considering Kevin Huerter's (shoulder) season-ending injury. Ellis could be the answer as a fill-in if he can stay consistent, although a larger sample size is needed to consider him in fantasy formats.
... See More... See Less
Kings' Keon Ellis: Drops career-high 19 points
Rotowire
Ellis notched 19 points (7-12 FG, 4-9 3Pt, 1-2 FT), six assists, five rebounds, two steals and one block and two steals in 37 minutes during Saturday's 109-107 victory over the Magic.
Ellis came out hot in the win, rolling to a new career high in scoring while drilling four triples along the way. While Ellis will likely turn in inconsistent production as a scorer now that he's been thrust into the starting lineup in place of Kevin Huerter (shoulder), he should be an excellent source of steals and blocks production from the guard spot.
... See More... See Less
Kings' Keon Ellis: Returns to starting lineup
Rotowire
Ellis will start Wednesday's game against the Raptors, Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee reports.
Ellis will make his third start in the Kings' last five games due to Kevin Huerter's (shoulder) unavailability. Over his last four games, Ellis is averaging 7.8 points, 4.0 rebounds, 2.3 steals and 1.8 blocks across 29.5 minutes.
... See More... See Less
Kings' Keon Ellis: Back to bench
Rotowire
Ellis will move to the bench for Saturday's game against the Knicks, Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee reports.
Kevin Huerter (leg) is back in the lineup after missing Wednesday's game against the Lakers. Ellis fared well in that game, scoring 14 points with two rebounds, one block, three steals and three triples in 28 minutes.
... See More... See Less
Kings' Keon Ellis: Plays well in start
Rotowire
Ellis posted 14 points (5-8 FG, 3-5 3Pt, 1-2 FT), two rebounds, one block and three steals in 28 minutes during Wednesday's 120-107 win over the Lakers.
Ellis finished with a plus-6 net rating during his time on the court, which was the worst mark among Sacramento's starters, but he was efficient and active defensively in Wednesday's victory. Kevin Huerter (leg) was sidelined Wednesday, and Ellis' play likely secured a starting spot Saturday against the Knicks if Huerter is inactive again.
... See More... See Less
Kings' Keon Ellis: Starting Friday
Rotowire
Ellis is starting Friday's game against Minnesota, Alan Horton of the Timberwolves Radio Network reports.
De'Aaron Fox (knee) is sitting out Friday, but the Kings are hoping to have him back in the lineup for Monday against Chicago. Davion Mitchell will move to the bench after an uninspiring effort in his last outing.
... See More... See Less
Kings' Keon Ellis: Inks deal with Sacramento
Rotowire
Ellis agreed to a three-year contract with the Kings Friday, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reports.
Ellis was in the midst of his second season on a two-way deal with Sacramento, but he'll now get a spot on the 15-man roster after the Kings had an opening in the aftermath of Thursday's trade deadline. The 23-year-old guard is averaging 3.8 points, 1.3 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 11.9 minutes across 29 appearances in 2023-24, but he's largely been out of the rotation since late December while Davion Mitchell has settled back in as the primary backup to De'Aaron Fox.
... See More... See Less
Kings' Keon Ellis: Efficient shooter in win
Rotowire
Ellis had 17 points (6-8 FG, 5-7 3Pt), six rebounds, three assists, one block and one steal across 28 minutes during Thursday's 128-123 win over the Thunder.
Ellis thrived off the bench and made his presence felt on both ends of the court, though his scoring figures certainly stood out. This 17-point output represented a season-high mark for the former Alabama standout, but he's scored in double digits just three times throughout the campaign. Chances are this was an outlier rather than a sign of things to come in the future for Ellis.
... See More... See Less
Kings' Keon Ellis: Small role in return
Rotowire
Ellis (ankle) played 5:35 in Tuesday's 124-123 win over the Warriors, finishing with three points (1-2 FG, 1-2 3Pt).
Ellis was back in action after a three-game absence, but he handled only a sparse role off the bench while the Kings leaned heavily on starting point guard De'Aaron Fox (40 minutes). Barring Fox missing time again due to an injury, Ellis isn't likely to see his playing time pick up dramatically anytime soon.
... See More... See Less
Kings' Keon Ellis: Questionable for Tuesday
Rotowire
Ellis (ankle) is questionable to play Tuesday against Golden State.
Ellis is at risk of missing his fourth consecutive game Tuesday due to a left ankle sprain, although Sacramento coming off three full days of rest works in his favor. If Ellis can't suit up, Malik Monk will have increased combo guard duties. Chris Duarte has logged back-to-back games with 20-plus minutes as well.
... See More... See Less
Kings' Keon Ellis: Won't face Minnesota
Rotowire
Ellis (ankle) has been ruled out for Friday's game against the Timberwolves, Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee reports.
Ellis will miss a third straight contest due to a left ankle sprain. The two-way player had settled in as Sacramento's backup point guard prior to suffering the injury, but his absence Friday should open up a spot in the rotation for Davion Mitchell.
... See More... See Less
Kings' Keon Ellis: Won't play Wednesday
Rotowire
Ellis (ankle) is out for Wednesday's game against New Orleans.
Ellis will miss his second consecutive game due to a left ankle sprain. Chris Duarte (hand) is also banged up, leaving Kevin Huerter, Malik Monk and Davion Mitchell as secondary playmakers to help fill the void alongside De'Aaron Fox. Ellis' next opportunity to return is Friday against Minnesota.
... See More... See Less
Kings' Keon Ellis: Dealing with ankle sprain
Rotowire
Ellis has been ruled out for Monday's game against the Pelicans due to a left ankle sprain.
Ellis has surpassed Davion Mitchell as the top backup behind De'Aaron Fox, but the Alabama product appears to have sprained his ankle during Sunday's win over the Mavericks. Sacramento may just be exercising precaution during a back-to-back, so Ellis can be considered day-to-day, with his next chance to suit up coming Wednesday in a rematch versus New Orleans. In Ellis' absence, Mitchell figures to operate as the primary backup point guard, but if Kevin Huerter (finger) and Sasha Vezenkov (thumb) join Ellis on the sideline, Malik Monk and Chris Duarte would presumably handle increased usage as well.
... See More... See Less
Kings' Keon Ellis: Back to bench
Rotowire
Ellis isn't starting Monday's game against the Cavaliers, James Ham of ESPN 1320 Sacramento reports.
Ellis will go back to a bench role with De'Aaron Fox returning from an ankle injury. Ellis started his team's last two contests, averaging 6.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.0 assists,1.5 steals and 1.5 blocks in 26.0 minutes.
... See More... See Less
Kings' Keon Ellis: Fails to impress in win
Rotowire
Ellis provided four points (1-3 FG, 0-2 3Pt, 2-3 FT), four rebounds and three steals in 21 minutes during Wednesday's 121-118 overtime victory over the Trail Blazers.
The Kings were impressed by Ellis' performance Monday against Houston and gave him the start. Unfortunately, he failed to make an impact, and the team put Davion Mitchell and Malik Monk back in after only seven minutes. Ellis appeared again for brief stints in the second and third quarter but rode the bench after that.
... See More... See Less
Kings' Keon Ellis: Out against Bucks
Rotowire
Ellis won't play in Saturday's Summer League game against Milwaukee due to an undisclosed reason, Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee reports.
Ellis' Summer League is likely over, but it doesn't appear as though he's suffered a serious injury. Ellis is set to split time between the NBA and G League in 2023-24 as a two-way player.
... See More... See Less
Kings' Keon Ellis: Remaining in Sacramento
Rotowire
Ellis re-signed with the Kings on a two-way contract Sunday, Paul Garcia of ProjectSpurs.com reports.
Ellis spent the 2022-23 campaign with the Kings on a two-way deal, and he'll remain with the organization this season on a contract that will continue to allow him flexibility to move between the NBA and G League clubs. He made 16 appearances with Sacramento last year and averaged 1.5 points in 4.4 minutes per game.
