The Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers are reportedly both keen to pursue a trade for Sacramento Kings wing Keon Ellis.
On July 18, Forbes’ Evan Sidery reported that the Warriors would be open to trading Jonathan Kuminga for Ellis in a potential sign-and-trade swap.
On July 23, several reports suggested that the Lakers had also expressed interest in acquiring Ellis, in light of their eagerness to add perimeter defense and shooting.
Ellis is regarded as an elite defender with solid offensive upside. In the 2024-25 season, he shot an impressive 43.3% from 3-point range, averaging 8.3 points per game.
Kings Made Shocking Call on Ellis
Much like Kuminga, Ellis entered the 2025 offseason as a restricted free agent, with hopes of landing a new long-term contract. However, the Kings did not offer him a qualifying offer, and instead shocked the NBA community by picking up Ellis’ Team Option worth $2.3 million. The decision sparked rumors around the league that Sacramento might be open to trading him.
Subsequently, popular Lakers fan LakersTom urged the Lakers to trade Dalton Knecht for Ellis.
“Here’s an interesting trade that could be win-win considering what both the Lakers and the Kings need,” he wrote. “Lakers get a legitimate two-way shooting guard who is an elite point-of-attack and perimeter defender and exactly what LA needs for a Luka/Austin back court.”
“Kings get a young player who could be the explosive wing scorer every team covets. This is the type of trade where I wish the Lakers had a second-round pick to add as a sweetener.”
Warriors Waiting for Kuminga Domino
On July 23, Kings general manager Scott Perry justified his team’s decision not to sign Ellis, one of the best young players in the league, to a new contract.
“Ultimately, it’s a show of trust that we picked up his option, instead of making him a restricted free agent,” Perry said, via SacTownSports.com.
“That helped us add some talent this year, that we might not have been able to get otherwise. Now, we hope to get something done that keeps Keon in Sacramento, because he’s a really good player and different from all of our other guards,” a Sacramento front office executive said.”
As for the Warriors, the franchise is reportedly unwilling to make any moves in free agency or the trade market until they can resolve the Kuminga situation.
According to ClutchPoints’ Brett Siegel, Kuminga’s camp is seeking a deal in the $30 million range and prefers to play for another franchise. The Warriors want a short-term deal in the $20 million range, which would allow them to flip him for another player.
The impasse has also prevented the Bay Area franchise from completing the rumored free-agent signings of Al Horford and De’Anthony Melton, per multiple insiders.
Interestingly, an anonymous Warriors front office executive denied the reports that the Warriors were unwilling to offer Kuminga more than $30 million.
“We still love Jonathan,” he told Sportrac. “We’re hopeful we can figure out a way to strike a balance that works for him and for us. But we’re not going to compromise our roster-building ability now, or in the future. We have to be responsible in the way we build our team.”
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