Ellis will come off the bench Wednesday against the Thunder.
Ellis drew a spot start in Sunday's loss to the Spurs but failed to do much with the opportunity, finishing with two points and one rebound in 15 minutes. He'll retreat to a bench role Wednesday with Precious Achiuwa slotting back in as the starting power forward.
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Kings' Keon Ellis: Starting Sunday
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Ellis will start Sunday's game against the Spurs, Matt George of ABC 10 Sacramento reports.
The 25-year-old guard will get the starting nod for just the second time this season, pushing Precious Achiuwa to the bench. Over his last five outings, Ellis has averaged 8.0 points and 1.4 steals while shooting 48.0 percent from three-point range in 18.2 minutes per contest.
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Kings' Keon Ellis: Improved performance in loss
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Ellis logged 20 points (7-14 FG, 6-11 3Pt), one assist and two steals in 31 minutes during Wednesday's 133-100 loss to Atlanta.
Ellis finally found some rhythm on the offensive end, scoring a season-high 20 points. With Zach LaVine (thigh) and Malik Monk (ankle) both sidelined, it was Ellis who took full advantage. While this was an encouraging performance, we would need to see much more of this before declaring him a sustainable fantasy asset.
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Kings' Keon Ellis: Barely visible in loss
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Ellis had three points (1-1 FG, 1-1 3Pt), two blocks and one steal in 14 minutes during Tuesday's 122-108 loss to the Nuggets.
Ellis played a limited role off the bench once again, a trend that is all too familiar when it comes to what we have seen over the past couple of years. Despite some defensive upside, his offensive shortcomings are clearly evident. He has scored double digits only twice thus far, averaging 6.2 points through the first 11 games. There is no reason to consider him a viable asset, even in slightly deeper formats.
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Kings' Keon Ellis: Production falters in win
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Ellis posted zero points (0-1 FG), two rebounds, two assists and two steals across 17 minutes during Wednesday's 121-116 win over Golden State.
Ellis failed to produce, despite the fact that Sacramento was without two regular starters. It's been a slow start to the season for Ellis, having scored double-digits only twice thus far. Although he is averaging 1.6 steals per game, it simply isn't enough to warrant a roster spot outside of very deep leagues.
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Kings' Keon Ellis: Available vs. Chicago
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Ellis (shoulder) has been cleared to play in Wednesday's game against the Bulls, James Ham of ESPN 1320 Sacramento reports.
Ellis is dealing with a shoulder issue, but that won't stop him from playing in the second game of a back-to-back set. The Alabama product is averaging 7.8 points and 2.0 rebounds per game while shooting 47.8 percent from the floor and 38.5 percent from beyond the arc over the course of the first four games of the 2025-26 campaign.
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Kings' Keon Ellis: Questionable with sore shoulder
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Ellis is questionable for Wednesday's game against the Bulls with left shoulder soreness.
Ellis is in danger of missing the second end of Sacramento's back-to-back set. If the defensive-minded swingman cannot give it a go, Russell Westbrook would likely see more playing time and carry enhanced streaming appeal.
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Kings' Keon Ellis: Drills six threes from bench
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Ellis logged 20 points (7-12 FG, 6-9 3Pt), two rebounds, two assists and two steals over 26 minutes during Friday's 117-166 preseason win over the Lakers.
Ellis is making a case for the first unit, but his spot may be at the whim of how the scheme fits with coach Doug Christie's plans. Zach LaVine is versatile enough to hold down a wing position, but his presence there would force DeMar DeRozan (groin) into a larger frontcourt role that would be better served by someone like Keegan Murray (thumb). Since Murray's debut is still weeks away, we could see a lot more from Ellis to begin the regular season, but he'll still be pushed by Malik Monk for minutes at off-guard. Ellis avoided an injury scare during the preseason finale after colliding with Marcus Smart, but the youngster stayed in the game and is expected to be 100 percent for Opening Night.
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Kings' Keon Ellis: Team option picked up
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The Kings exercised their $2.3 million team option in Ellis' contract Sunday, Sean Cunningham of Fox 40 Sacramento reports.
Ellis will return to Sacramento for a fourth season following a career-best year in 2024-25. The 25-year-old guard averaged 8.3 points, 2.7 rebounds, 1.7 three-pointers, 1.5 assists and 1.5 steals across 24.4 minutes per game in 80 regular-season appearances (28 starts) last season. He also recorded impressive shooting splits of 48.9/43.3/84.9.
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Kings' Keon Ellis: Gets in foul trouble
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Ellis ended Wednesday's 120-106 Play-In Game loss to the Mavericks with nine points (3-4 FG, 2-3 3Pt, 1-1 FT), one rebound and one assist across 18 minutes.
Ellis picked up four fouls in 18 minutes, limiting his output Wednesday. Ellis' third NBA season was something he'll be proud of, however, as he recorded multiple career-high marks -- across 80 regular-season games, he averaged 8.3 points, 2.7 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 0.8 blocks, 1.5 steals and 1.4 three-pointers on 48.9 percent shooting from the field.
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Kings' Keon Ellis: Available Monday
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Ellis (hand) is listed as available for Monday's game against Detroit.
Ellis will shake off a questionable tag Monday due to a right hand injury. The 25-year-old combo guard has started in nine straight games, averaging 9.0 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 2.2 steals and 0.8 blocks across 30.2 minutes per contest in that nine-game span.
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Kings' Keon Ellis: Shines on defensive end
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Ellis contributed 12 points (4-11 FG, 4-8 3Pt), three rebounds, four assists, two blocks and four steals over 37 minutes during Tuesday's 121-105 loss to the Thunder.
Yet again, Ellis made a massive impact on the defensive end -- this was his fifth game of the season with at least four steals, and his 14th game with at least a pair of blocks. Ellis has been logging a ton of minutes in the absence of Malik Monk (illness), averaging 15.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 2.0 steals, 0.7 blocks and 3.0 three-pointers over his last three games.
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Kings' Keon Ellis: Impresses as starter
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Ellis finished Monday's 113-95 loss to Boston with 14 points (5-7 FG, 2-4 3Pt, 2-3 FT), three rebounds, four assists and two steals in 37 minutes.
Malik Monk (illness) missed his second straight game Monday, and Ellis once again made the most of his extended look. In his last two starts, Ellis has logged 37 minutes in each game with averages of 17.0 points, 5.0 assists, 6.0 rebounds, 1.0 steals and 2.5 three-pointers. It remains to be seen if Monk will play Tuesday against the Thunder.
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Kings' Keon Ellis: Fills in with 20 points
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Ellis finished Saturday's 114-108 loss to the Bucks with 20 points (6-10 FG, 3-5 3Pt, 5-5 FT), nine rebounds and six assists in 37 minutes.
Ellis stepped in for Malik Monk (illness) and recorded his third-highest scoring total of the season during the defeat. Ellis has started 16 games this season and has provided ample backup support for the Kings. He's currently averaging career-best totals during his third year in the pros, averaging 8.4 points, 2.6 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.4 steals over 68 games.
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Kings' Keon Ellis: Starting sans Monk
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Ellis will be in the starting lineup for Saturday's game against the Bucks.
Ellis gets the nod to be in the first five for the Kings due to Malik Monk (illness) being ruled out Saturday. In 15 starts this season, the 24-year-old is averaging 10.5 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 2.2 steals per game, shooting 47.4 percent from the floor and 44.4 percent from beyond the arc.
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Kings' Keon Ellis: Back to bench Thursday
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Ellis is not in the starting lineup for Thursday's game against the Bulls, Sean Cunningham of Fox 40 Sacramento reports.
Ellis will revert to a bench role following the return of Zach LaVine, who missed Wednesday's win over the Cavaliers. Ellis, who posted 13 points, four rebounds and two assists in that win, is averaging 7.7 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game when coming off the bench this season.
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Kings' Keon Ellis: Starting sans Monk
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Ellis is in the starting lineup for Wednesday's game against the Nuggets, Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee reports.
Due to the absence of Malik Monk (toe) on Wednesday, Ellis will move into the starting lineup and have a chance to provide enhanced fantasy value. Across 11 games in Sacramento's first unit this year, Ellis has averaged 10.5 points, 3.1 rebounds, 2.3 steals, 2.1 assists, 0.8 blocks and 2.2 three-pointers in 30.4 minutes while shooting 45.3 percent from deep.
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Kings' Keon Ellis: Available to play
Rotowire
Ellis (ankle) will be available for Wednesday's game against the Jazz.
Ellis picked up a right ankle sprain during the second quarter of Monday's win over the Hornets and did not return, but was able to go through portions of practice Tuesday. The guard has put up averages of 9.8 points, 3.2 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 1.3 steals and 2.1 three-pointers through 10 February appearances.
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Kings' Keon Ellis: Iffy for Wednesday
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Ellis (ankle) is questionable for Wednesday's game against Utah, Sean Cunningham of Fox 40 Sacramento reports.
Ellis sustained a minor right ankle sprain during the second quarter of Monday's win over the Hornets and did not return. However, the 25-year-old was seen putting shots up after Tuesday's practice, which bodes well for his potential return in the near future, per Brenden Nunes of KHTK Sactown Sports 1140. If Ellis remains on the shelf Wednesday, Markelle Fultz and Devin Carter are candidates for an uptick in playing time.
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Kings' Keon Ellis: Won't return Monday
Rotowire
Ellis won't return to Monday's game against the Hornets due to a right ankle injury.
Ellis appeared to roll his ankle after landing on an opposing player's foot during the second quarter. He notched six points (2-2 FG, 2-2 3Pt) across nine minutes before exiting to the locker room. The 25-year-old reportedly planned to return during the second half, though he experienced an increase in soreness while putting shots up during the halftime break, per Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee. Ellis will look to move past the ankle injury ahead of the Kings' next game Wednesday versus the Jazz.
