Keon Ellis likes 76ers IG trade request amid Mike Brown firing
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When news broke that the Sacramento Kings were letting head coach Mike Brown go mere months after winning the NBA Coach of the Year award, it took the association by storm.
Now, sure, the Kings have been quite depressing in 2024, going from one of the feel-good stories in the Western Conference to a squad that looked severely overmatched in most contests they entered, but firing Brown? No? Two days after Christmas? Well, that certainly felt rushed, right? Did something happen? Did Brown not like the direction that the Kings planned to take heading into the trade deadline? Or did the players turn on their head coach?
Well, while that story has yet to come out, one player has already made their feelings known one way or the other in Keon Ellis, the Kings’ 3-and-D wing who liked an Instagram comment suggesting he should be traded to Philadelphia right around when the news went public.
While we're here…
( @WillFagan5) pic.twitter.com/iekuvKhIDB
— Sixerdaily on IG (@Sixerdaily) December 27, 2024
What does it mean? What does it mean?
Now granted, maybe that was a mistake; maybe Ellis’ finger slipped, and maybe he thought nothing of it. Or maybe he went to his IG, looked for a comment regarding a trade – either to Philadelphia specifically or just any trade at all – and hit like as a subtle shot at the Kings organization, letting it be known that he isn’t pleased in a very 2024 kind of way?
Either way, the thought of Ellis to the 76ers, an idea prevalent enough that fans were shooting their shots in his IG comments, just went way, way up, which is good news, because he does much of what Philadelphia needs.
Keon Ellis is an ideal fit with the Philadelphia 76ers
What are the 76ers looking for ahead of the 2025 NBA trade deadline? Well, they could use more playmaking from the backcourt, another top-tier defender who can protect the point of attack, and a few more quick triggers around the arc who can capitalize off of a Joel Embiid outlet pass.
Though far from a primary playmaker, Ellis, to his credit, checks those final two boxes well, especially considering his cap hit.
Originally signed to a two-way contract after going undrafted out of Alabama, Ellis officially signed a three-year, $5.1 million contract with the Kings in 2024, with the team having a club option worth $2.3 million for the 2025-26 season. Because of that fact, the 76ers would have multiple different avenues to acquire Ellis if they wanted to, with a package of multiple second-round picks plus Eric Gordon the cleanest path to a deal.
Would most 76ers fans give up a Gary Payton Jr.-sized war chest for Ellis in addition to Gordon’s contract? Yeah, I’d reckon to say they would, especially considering they both wear the number 23, which would make for a smooth transition all the way around.
At 13-18, with the potential for a rebuild on the horizon if they end up trading De’Aaron Fox, would the Kings really want to trade away one of their better young players? That depends, but with just four starts on the season and a stat line that isn’t particularly impressive, if the arrow is pointing toward asset acquisition, Daryl Morey would be wise to place a call to speed up that process.
The post Keon Ellis likes 76ers IG trade request amid Mike Brown firing appeared first on ClutchPoints.
