Kings Guard Named Knicks Trade Target

The New York Knicks are going to be exploring the trade market this offseason regardless of how things end up in the Eastern Conference Finals against the Indiana Pacers.

The Knicks aren't far and away the best team in the league, which means improvement should be on the way.

Bleacher Report writer Greg Swartz suggested the Knicks should target Sacramento Kings shooting guard Keon Ellis.

"It's probably safe to assume that the New York Knicks will keep their core together next season, meaning no All-Star trade targets here. Instead, the Knicks should be looking to improve their depth by finding rotation players on budget-friendly contracts," Swartz wrote.

"Ellis has a $2.3 million team option for next season and averaged 8.3 points on 43.3 percent shooting from deep for the Kings in 2024-25."

Ellis appears to be a better 3-point shooting version of Miles McBride, and with just one year left on his contract, he will be due a major raise at the end of the 2025-26 campaign. McBride is under contract for slightly more, but nothing to break the bank over.

McBride is also under contract until 2027, making him slightly more valuable for the future of the Knicks.

It's hard to imagine any Ellis trade going through without McBride, and if that's the case, the Knicks should likely decline the deal. There aren't too many lineups that make sense with New York's tight rotation that include both McBride and Ellis off the bench. Both are roadblocked by Jalen Brunson and Mikal Bridges in the starting lineup, and the money that would be needed for an Ellis extension should probably be used elsewhere.

Bridges is a free agent at the end of next season, so the Knicks should be more focused on extending him than trying to find a cheaper depth piece.