Keon Ellis Signs Three-Year Contract with Sacramento Kings
The Sacramento Kings do not have the best track record with second-round picks and undrafted players. It is not easy to find talent outside of the first round but the Kings’ hit rate on late picks is extremely low. However, Kings’ General Manager Monte McNair might have just found some success with Keon Ellis. Ellis went undrafted in the 2022 NBA Draft but now he just inked a three-year deal with the Sacramento Kings.
Keon Ellis had a great career as an upperclassman for the Alabama Crimson Tide. He only started seven games for Alabama as a junior before taking a huge leap in his senior year. As a senior Ellis averaged 12 points, six rebounds, and 1.9 steals per game on respectable shooting splits. Also, he was named to an SEC All-Defensive Team in his senior year and helped Alabama make multiple deep tournament runs.
Ellis’ college production was not enough for him to be drafted but it did earn him a spot on Sacramento’s G-League affiliate team the Stockton Kings. He was on a two-way contract in his rookie year where he spent most of his time in Stockton. He only played 16 games for Sacramento in his rookie year but he averaged 16.8 points 5.3 rebounds, and 1.6 steals in the G-League. However, these stats typically do not lead to an NBA contract.
Keon Ellis’ 2023-2024 Season
Now, Keon Ellis has taken a solid leap in his second year in the league. The Shooting Guard has already played in 29 games this season and he has started in three of those games. He has been a great energy guy off of the bench and provided some solid defense. The Kings have rewarded Ellis with a three-year contract prolonging his future in Sacramento.
The Sacramento Kings are currently 31-23 which has the team as the eighth seed in the West. This is not ideal for a team that finished as the third seed last year. However, the race in the Western Conference is tight as the Kings are only a game and a half back from the fifth seed. Now, Sacramento will need the roster to play better if they want to make a playoff push. Ellis will have a great chance to earn more minutes as the season continues and show why he is deserving of his new contract.
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