{"id":169160,"date":"2026-02-08T10:42:16","date_gmt":"2026-02-08T10:42:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/169160\/"},"modified":"2026-02-08T10:42:16","modified_gmt":"2026-02-08T10:42:16","slug":"keon-ellis-is-grateful-for-time-in-sacramento-but-glad-to-be-in-a-winning-enviornment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/169160\/","title":{"rendered":"Keon Ellis is grateful for time in Sacramento, but “glad to be in a winning enviornment”"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Sacramento Kings fanbase grew a love for Keon Ellis after he ascended from an undrafted two-way player in the 2022 NBA Draft to a valuable rotational piece.<\/p>\n

Yet, it was an unceremonious end to his time in California\u2019s capital after being traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers along with Dennis Schroder in exchange for De\u2019Andre Hunter.<\/p>\n

Ironically, exactly one week after the deal, Cleveland\u2019s lone trip to Golden 1 Center was Ellis\u2019s second game with his new squad.<\/p>\n

Prior to Saturday\u2019s matchup, Ellis reflected fondly on his journey in an exclusive interview with Sactown Sports. \u201cKind of lost for words,\u201d he said regarding his three and a half seasons with the Kings. \u201cDefinitely enjoyed my time, wish we could have won a little more, things could have worked out better, but it is what it is and, you know, we move on.\u201d<\/p>\n

As mentioned, the fan base developed a special connection with Ellis to the point that chants clamoring for him to check into the action were not uncommon.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe fans, they rocked with me as much as anybody,\u201d he said pregame. \u201c(They\u2019re) the best fans for a reason. So, it will definitely be nice to go back out there and hear them cheering for me. Love the fans for sure.\u201d<\/p>\n

Keon Ellis gets a nice ovation from the G1C crowd as he checks into the game as a member of the Cavaliers. pic.twitter.com\/vjxfw3Pfdy<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Brenden Nunes (@BrendenNunesNBA) February 8, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

That love was clearly reciprocated by the Sacramento fanbase, evident by the ovation he received when checking into the game wearing another jersey.<\/p>\n

Yet, his on-court role with the Kings was the definition of inconsistent. That stretched across multiple front offices and head coaches, with Ellis playing fewer than 10 minutes in 12 instances in 2024-25 under both former head coach Mike Brown and current (then interim) coach Doug Christie \u2014 including two DNP-CDs.<\/p>\n

This year, Christie\u2019s first full season at the helm, was even more drastic, as Christie often referenced their guard \u201clogjam\u201d on the roster as the primary reason. Ellis recorded five DNP-CDs in 2025-26, along with nine occurrences of fewer than 10 minutes.<\/p>\n

Given that reality, Ellis said he could \u201cexpect things to be changed\u201d leading into the trade deadline.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith the year that I had (last season) and then coming into this year, expecting things to be a little bit better than they were, when it\u2019s kind of going like that, you can expect things to be changed.\u201d<\/p>\n

When asked if he was excited to be traded, Ellis said he wouldn\u2019t use that wording because moving mid-season is never a fun experience, but he is glad to be on a team with aspirations that go beyond the regular season.<\/p>\n

\u201cDefinitely glad to be in a winning environment and on a winning team,\u201d Ellis told Sactown Sports. \u201cJust really excited to see how I can help and contribute.\u201d<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, many of Sacramento\u2019s primary players were unavailable for his return to Golden 1 Center. Having built a particularly strong relationship with Malik Monk, Ellis said he wished he were out there for Saturday\u2019s matchup.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been talking to Malik about (playing against him) since like way before,\u201d he said. \u201cSo, yeah, it sucks that he\u2019s not playing tonight, but it\u2019ll be fun catching up with all of them, though.\u201d<\/p>\n

Inheriting his bird rights in the deal, time will tell if Ellis will remain with the Cavaliers beyond this season. But while he clearly appreciated his time in Sacramento, especially given the love that the fanbase showed him, Ellis thinks he can \u201cfit in great\u201d with his new team.<\/p>\n

\u201cJust with what I do and my mindset of winning basketball, I think that I can fit in pretty much anywhere,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Given Sacramento\u2019s 12-41 record headed into their matchup against Ellis and Cleveland (31-21), it\u2019s easy to understand his excitement to play competitive basketball and get his first taste of the postseason.<\/p>\n

His three and a half seasons were a confusing whirlwind with an unideal ending.<\/p>\n

More Sacramento Kings content from Sactown Sports<\/p>\n

Upcoming Sacramento Kings schedule for the 2025-26 season<\/p>\n

Saturday, February 7th\u00a0\u2013 vs. Cleveland Cavaliers \u2013 7:00 PM PT
\nMonday, February 9th\u00a0\u2013 @ New Orleans Pelicans \u2013 5:00 PM PT
\nWednesday, February 11th\u00a0\u2013 @ Utah Jazz \u2013 6:00 PM PT
\nThursday, February 19th\u00a0vs. Orlando Magic \u2013 7:00 PM PT
\nSaturday, February 21st\u00a0@ San Antonio Spurs \u2013 5:00 PM PT<\/p>\n

Thank you for reading\u00a0SactownSports.com<\/a>. Follow us on\u00a0Twitter<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Google News<\/a>, and subscribe to our\u00a0YouTube<\/a>\u00a0channel.<\/p>\n

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