2025-26 Salary: $1.7 million
2025-26 Stats: 6.7 points, 1.9 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 1.2 steals
Keon Ellis wasn’t a huge part of the Cleveland Cavaliers’ playoff rotation, which could raise some red flags. Ultimately, though, it says just as much about the team’s oversaturation of non-wings and small guards.
Slotting Ellis into a starting 2-guard spot is not an overreach of his skill set. He won’t run the offense as a ball-handler, but he can usually check any backcourt initiators who don’t spill into power-wing territory. Even then, we have seen his teams throw him at bigger bodies, including Luka Dončić, when in a pinch.
Offensive consistency remains the 26-year-old’s biggest issue. His career 40.7 percent clip from beyond the arc is coming on a ho-hum six attempts per 36 minutes. He can be hesitant to fire away quickly enough and is even more reluctant to put the ball on the floor and attack closeouts.
Working around those limitations is an annoyance if your rotation is teeming with aggressive guards or you’re paying Ellis $10-plus million per year. When he’s making south of $6 million, he’s a plug-and-play talent worth betting on.