Much of the rumors around the Minnesota Timberwolves ahead of the February 5 trade deadline surround the need for a point guard. However, simply landing some bench depth is crucial for the Wolves, who rank 22nd in bench points and 28th in bench minutes -- the offseason departure of Nickeil Alexander-Walker has haunted the team all year. One name the Wolves are now being linked to: Sacramento Kings wing Keon Ellis.
On a recent episode of The Locked On Kings Podcast, trusted Kings reporter James Ham noted that the Timberwolves are one of four teams with known interest in Ellis.
"Now, I know for a fact that there are tons of teams that have called the Sacramento Kings on Keon Ellis. And according to my sources, here are a couple of names that you need to keep in mind: the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Indiana Pacers, the Boston Celtics, and the New York Knicks, from what I have heard, have all called on Keon Ellis," Ham said.
Minnesota has been searching for quality wing play since losing Alexander-Walker in free agency last summer. The hope was that Terrence Shannon Jr. could fill this void. However, he's missed 25 games (including the last month) with a foot injury and has been unproductive when healthy. Jaylen Clark is an impactful defender, but he offers little value on offense. Trading for Ellis could finally solve this problem.
Ellis is a logical trade target for the Wolves
Ellis is a clear trade candidate ahead of the deadline. Marc Stein has previously reported that the 26-year-old wing is one of the most likely players to be traded. During a tumultuous four-year tenure in Sacramento, Ellis hasn't been able to carve out a consistent role. As Ellis enters free agency this summer, it's clear he has no future with the Kings.
His pending free agency certainly complicates matters for the Wolves. Nevertheless, it's fair to expect that he can be re-signed at a reasonable number.
Crucially, Ellis is a prototypical 3-and-D wing who can impact winning at a high level. For his career, Ellis has netted 41.5 percent of his 3-pointers. Ellis is also a high-impact defender, both on the ball and as a defensive playmaker. Impressively, he ranks in the 95th percentile for both deflections and steals per 100 possessions per Databallr.
The Wolves clearly need an extra point-of-attack defender as Jaden McDaniels is overtaxed in this regard. Ellis can solve this problem while offering more dependable 3-point shooting than Clark. While he's not the playmaker that Alexander-Walker is, Ellis is in a similar mold as a 3-and-D wing.
In general, the Wolves desperately need more trusted rotation players, and wing depth is a clear concern -- Ellis can fill this void. Yes, he hasn't played much in Sacramento of all places, but that's more of a coaching problem than anything. Looking at the teams Ham listed as suitors, they are all successful organizations, and that's not a coincidence.
What would a deal for Ellis look like?
It's been reported by Dan Woike of The Athletic that the Kings are seeking a first-round pick in return for Ellis. That complicates things for the Wolves, who can only trade a 2028 first-round pick swap. Regardless, I don't think this is a realistic asking price as Ellis can't consistently see the floor in Sacramento and is a free agent this summer.
A deal centered around Rob Dillingham could be enough -- let us not forget that Dillingham was a lottery pick in 2024, so he has to have some value, especially to a rebuilding Kings team.
Perhaps this expands to a bigger deal where the Wolves land Ellis and Dennis Schroder, sending out some combination of Dillingham, more young talent, Mike Conley, and draft capital (the Wolves have seven tradable second-round picks). That would solve two problems for the Wolves, and it should be worth monitoring.
Clearly, Ellis is a name to keep in mind for Timberwolves fans as the trade deadline nears.