Sacramento Kings sign Keon Ellis to three-year deal
Feb 9, 2024, 9:48 AM
(Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)
(Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)
The Sacramento Kings might not have made a move during the NBA trade deadline on Thursday, but they did fill its open roster spot.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Kings are signing second-year guard Keon Ellis to a three-year contract that will elevate his status from a two-way player to a standard NBA deal.
Ellis, 24, was approaching his 50-game limit on his two-way contract, but the guard will now be able to play without restrictions going forward.
The Sacramento Kings are signing guard Keon Ellis on a new three-year contract, Corey Marcum of @ezsportsgroup tells ESPN. Ellis had been on a two-way deal and now gets a standard NBA deal after rising from an undrafted player out of Alabama. pic.twitter.com/Q3Vvw6oHPV
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 9, 2024
More on Keon Ellis
The signing of Ellis, who went undrafted during the 2022 NBA Draft, adds to the guard’s inspiring story.
For the first time in his NBA career, Ellis is on a full contract as Sacramento will not have to worry about holding the guard out of game action in order to remain underneath the 50-game limit for two-way players.
Over 29 appearances this season, the Alabama product is averaging 3.8 points, 1.3 rebounds, and 1.2 assists per game on 43 percent shooting from the field and 37 percent from beyond the three-point line.
Ellis has seen stints in head coach Mike Brown’s rotation as a backup point guard, most recently in December when he played 15.5 minutes per game over a twelve-game stretch.
As the Kings continue to search for stability in the rotation, Brown can now call on Ellis for the remainder of the season and beyond if backup guard Davion Mitchell goes through another rough stretch.
Ellis’ intensity on defense can also come in handy when Sacramento is in a pinch and needs to switch things up on that end of the floor.
Following a tough 24-hour stretch that saw the Kings fall short to the NBA-worst Detroit Pistons before standing pat at the trade deadline, the signing of Ellis acts as a pallet cleanser–especially for a player who has done everything he can to earn a full NBA deal.
Mission accomplished.
When is the next Sacramento Kings game?
Sacramento will begin a brutal portion of its regular season schedule on Friday night when they face the defending champion Denver Nuggets at Golden 1 Center.
The Kings will face Denver (three times), Oklahoma City, Phoenix, the Los Angeles Clippers, and Minnesota Timberwolves over their next ten games.
Be sure to tune in right here on Sactown Sports 1140 for all of your Kings vs. Nuggets coverage, beginning at 5:30 PM PST on Game Night before a 7:00 PM PST tip-off from downtown Sacramento.
Upcoming Schedule
- Friday, February 9th – Sacramento Kings vs. Denver Nuggets – 7:00 PM PST
- Sunday, February 11th – Sacramento Kings @ Oklahoma City Thunder – 12:00 PM PST
- Tuesday, February 13th – Sacramento Kings @ Phoenix Suns – 7:00 PM PST
- Wednesday, February 14th – Sacramento Kings @ Denver Nuggets – 6:00 PM PST
- NBA All-Star break – February 15-21
- Thursday, February 22nd – Sacramento Kings vs. San Antonio Spurs – 7:00 PM PST
Thank you for reading SactownSports.com. Follow us on Twitter and Google News, and subscribe to our YouTube channel.
