Lakers Trade Offer for Keon Ellis REVEALED? | Lakers & Kings Trade + Malik Monk a Pathway to Ellis?

LOS ANGELES — The NBA trade market is beginning to stir, and while the loudest headline right now involves Trae Young potentially being moved—with the Atlanta Hawks and Washington Wizards frequently floated as a pairing—one of the league’s most watched teams is expected to stay out of that specific sweepstakes: the Los Angeles Lakers.

That doesn’t mean the Lakers are sitting idle. It means they’re likely playing a different game—one that hinges on what happens after the first major domino falls.

If a Young deal (or any other star-level move) triggers a chain reaction of roster reshaping across the league, the Lakers could be positioned to pick through the aftershock market: rotation-level wings, two-way guards, and “3-and-D” contributors who become available when teams re-balance salaries, roles, and timelines.

One name that continues to pop up in Lakers chatter is Sacramento Kings guard Keon Ellis, a player multiple reports have linked to L.A.’s interest. What’s notable isn’t just the fit. It’s the question of price, and whether the Lakers can realistically meet Sacramento’s asking point without sacrificing the one asset L.A. treats like a crown jewel: its final tradable first-round pick.

Here’s how the situation looks right now—why the Lakers are waiting, why Ellis is on their radar, and what realistic trade pathways might look like if L.A. tries to find value without overpaying.

1) The Big Picture: Lakers Are Waiting for “Aftershocks,” Not Headlining the Market

In most trade seasons, there are two kinds of buyers:

Headline buyers who chase stars and swing the market
Aftershock buyers who improve through secondary deals once the landscape changes

The Lakers, based on the framing in the transcript you provided, appear more aligned with the second group.

A Trae Young-sized move typically reshapes multiple franchises at once:

A team takes on a star contract and clears other money
Another team pivots and sells veterans
Several contenders suddenly need to fill roster holes cheaply
Rotation players who were once “too valuable” become movable

That’s where the Lakers’ opportunity can live—especially if they’re operating with limited premium assets and want depth upgrades more than a single splashy star.

2) The Lakers’ No. 1 Need: Two-Way “3-and-D” Depth

Whatever else you think about the Lakers’ roster, the common roster-building theme is consistent:

They need more playable two-way bodies
They need reliable perimeter defense
They need wings/guards who can survive in playoff matchups without being hunted

Even if the team has seen development from young contributors, the playoff equation rarely changes: contenders win series with switchable defense, spacing, and dependable minutes. The Lakers’ best version typically requires:

fewer defensive weak spots
more lineup flexibility
more ways to survive non-LeBron minutes
more rotation options when matchups change

That’s why so much of Lakers trade talk tends to center around role players rather than star chases.

3) Why Keon Ellis Is Being Mentioned So Often

Keon Ellis is the kind of name that surfaces in modern contender rumors for one simple reason: archetype.

He’s viewed as a defensive-minded guard who can hit enough threes to stay on the floor—exactly the type of player teams want next to high-usage creators. In the excerpt, he’s described as:

roughly 6 points per game
around 36% from three in the current sample
strong career three-point percentage cited as ~41%+
steal rate that pops relative to minutes
25 years old (approaching 26)

Whether you agree with every number or not, the scouting “shape” is clear: a cheap, defensive playmaker with workable shooting—and that is valuable.

The other reason Ellis is a frequent rumor: contract structure.

He’s described as making around $2.3M and being expiring, meaning:

he’s easy to match in salary
he’s a clean “cap math” target
but he also comes with retention risk (you trade for him, then you must pay him to keep him)

That combination—cheap now, uncertain later—is exactly the type of player teams call about at the deadline.

4) “Half the League Called”—And Why That Matters

When reports say “half the NBA has called,” that signals two things:

The player is valued league-wide
The price may be inflated because the seller can point to demand

For the Lakers, that second point is critical. L.A. can’t afford to bid the way some teams can—especially teams sitting on multiple first-round picks, young prospects, or cap flexibility.

So even if the Lakers like Ellis (and multiple reports have suggested they do), the question becomes:

Can L.A. acquire him without paying a price that undercuts their long-term flexibility?

5) The First Trade Framework Floating Around: Keon Ellis for Dalton Knecht

The simplest framework mentioned is salary-matching clean and easy:

Lakers send Dalton Knecht
Kings send Keon Ellis

No extra salary filler required if the math lines up closely enough.

On paper, it’s a tidy concept:

Lakers trade offense/spacing potential for defense-first utility
Kings get a different kind of skill set and a younger asset

But the tension point is obvious: value.

Why the Lakers might hesitate

Even if the Lakers like Ellis, they may see him as:

a role player
on an expiring deal
with an uncertain free-agent market

That makes it hard to justify moving a young shooter/rotation prospect unless the Lakers feel the defensive upgrade is worth it and they’re confident they can re-sign Ellis.

Why Sacramento might hesitate

If Sacramento believes Ellis is worth a first (as suggested), then a straight-up swap without additional value might not satisfy them—especially if other teams are calling.

6) The Asset Reality: The Lakers’ “One Tradable First” Problem

The excerpt references the Lakers having only one remaining tradable first-round pick (2031).

That kind of limitation shapes everything.

If you’re the Lakers, you have to decide whether that 2031 pick is:

the emergency button for a major upgrade
or a bargaining chip you never touch unless it’s for a needle-moving player

Teams in L.A.’s position often treat the last first-rounder like:

a future flexibility tool
a ticket to a bigger trade later
a safeguard against roster collapse

So if the Kings are truly asking for a first for Ellis, and the Lakers only have one, it’s understandable why L.A. might say: not for this player.

7) The “Happy Medium” Concept: Pick Swaps and Creative Value

If Sacramento wants a first, and the Lakers won’t offer their final tradable first outright, one compromise sometimes floated is:

a first-round pick swap (not a full first)
or multiple second-round picks
or a prospect + swap
or expanding the deal to include other contracts/players

A pick swap can be framed as:

upside for the seller if the buyer declines later
less painful for the buyer than surrendering a true first

But pick swaps only matter if both sides believe the buyer might be worse later—something that becomes hard to predict years out.

8) The More Complicated (But Potentially More Realistic) Path: Expand the Deal Around Malik Monk

This is where the conversation gets interesting—because the transcript hints at a different path that could make the Ellis price more workable:

Bundle Ellis with a bigger contract Sacramento might want to move.

The name floated: Malik Monk (a former Laker).

The logic is straightforward:

If Sacramento is motivated to move Monk’s longer money
The Lakers might be able to get Ellis as part of a larger transaction at a better “effective price”
Because the Lakers would be taking on extra salary/years, which is itself value

Why Monk would appeal to the Lakers

From the perspective in your excerpt:

Monk is familiar with L.A. and its spotlight
He can score off the bench
He provides shooting and creation
He’s athletic and can function as a secondary handler
He has prior chemistry with key Lakers (as alleged in the clip)

The catch: Financial flexibility

The Lakers, per the excerpt, may not want contracts that extend beyond the season because it cuts into offseason options. Taking on Monk’s contract would be a strategic choice: prioritize win-now depth versus preserve summer flexibility.

9) Possible Two-Team Trade Constructions (Conceptual, Not Reporting a Done Deal)

Here are the kinds of frameworks that get discussed when people talk about a Lakers–Kings deal that includes Monk and Ellis. These are illustrative pathways, not confirmations.

Option A: Lakers use expiring money as the sweetener

Lakers send: expiring contracts (example types: rotation or bench deals) + light draft compensation
Kings send: Malik Monk + Keon Ellis

Why Sacramento might consider:

clears long-term money
creates flexibility
gets back expiring deals that don’t clog future payroll

Why the Lakers might consider:

they get a shooter/creator (Monk) and a defensive guard (Ellis)
they improve rotation quality immediately

Why the Lakers might hesitate:

Monk’s contract goes beyond the season
they may prefer to keep flexibility rather than lock into a mid-tier deal

Option B: Lakers include a young asset + salary

Lakers send: Dalton Knecht + a mid-sized contract (like a rotation forward)
Kings send: Malik Monk + Keon Ellis
Possible add-ons: second-round pick(s) either direction, depending on value

Why it could work:

Kings receive a younger, controllable asset
Lakers get immediate rotation help

Why it’s tricky:

the Kings would be moving two useful pieces
Lakers would likely insist on keeping their last tradable firs

10) Why Keon Ellis Being an Expiring Contract Changes Everything

Even if Ellis is exactly what the Lakers want stylistically, his expiring status matters.

A contender trading for an expiring role player has to ask:

Are we comfortable paying market value this summer?
Will another team outbid us in free agency?
Are we trading real assets for a rental?

That risk can cap the Lakers’ willingness to offer meaningful draft capital.

It also can cap Sacramento’s ability to get a true first—because other teams may also be reluctant to pay first-round prices for an expiring, non-star.

So the most likely outcomes in many expiring-role-player situations are:

second-round picks
swaps
young players who haven’t fully broken out
or a larger deal where the expiring player is a “piece,” not the headline

11) Why the Lakers Might Actually Prefer the “Aftershock” Approach

Even if Ellis is a real target, the Lakers may be better served waiting for the league to change shape after larger trades.

After a star trade:

Some teams become sellers
Some teams dump depth to avoid tax/apron penalties
Some contenders suddenly need to replace outgoing defenders
Rotation wings can become available at prices they weren’t before

That’s how you get the mid-tier deals that actually swing playoff series—because the marginal gain of one additional reliable two-way player is massive in May.

If the Lakers believe the market will loosen after a big move (Trae or otherwise), patience can be a strategy, not indecision.

12) What to Watch Next (Key Signals)

If you’re tracking this situation like a news cycle, here are the next “tell” moments:

Do the Kings officially shift into seller mode?
If Sacramento starts moving veterans or reshaping money, Ellis becomes more likely to move.
Do the Lakers show urgency or restraint?
A quick leak about “not including the 2031 first” would signal L.A. has a hard ceiling.
Do multi-team trades start appearing?
Ellis could be routed through larger constructions where the Lakers aren’t negotiating directly for him as the lone target.
Do other teams set the market first?
If another comparable 3-and-D guard gets traded for a certain price, it will frame Ellis’s realistic return.