Cleveland Cavaliers guard Keon Ellis already appears destined to depart the franchise this offseason, swinging the door wide open for the Golden State Warriors to pursue what could prove an ideal free agent target.
Ellis found himself stuck behind the notable backcourt duo of Donovan Mitchell and James Harden, along with former Warrior Dennis Schroder, during his stint in Cleveland, but still projects to be a valuable role player for teams in need of a 3-and-D guard this offseason.
Cavaliers swing door open for Warriors to pursue Keon Ellis in free agency
Cleveland is facing a financial crunch this offseason, meaning they'll have to prioritize one of Dean Wade or Ellis when it comes to re-signing their own uncontracted players. According to NBA insider Jake Fischer of The Stein Line on Saturday, Wade is set to be the Cavaliers first priority which would make sense considering he had a far more prominent role during the playoffs as the franchise reached the Eastern Conference Finals.
That leaves Ellis all but certain to depart Cleveland in free agency, but his actual price range remains intriguing given he averaged only 7.4 minutes and played in just 12 of the team's 18 playoff games.
"The Cavaliers always appeared to be a curious landing spot for Ellis compared to a team like the Lakers that had a clear need for perimeter defenders. It remains to be seen how Ellis fares in free agency now after largely falling out of Kenny Atkinson's playoff rotation," Fischer wrote.
While his value may have diminished this season after averaging a career-high 8.3 points on 43.3% 3-point shooting the year before, teams should hold significant interest in Ellis given he's just 26-years-old and only four years into his NBA career.
His regular season performances with the Cavaliers were actually more than respectable, averaging 8.3 points, 2.8 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.3 steals and nearly a block per game across his 29 appearances.
Keon Ellis remains an ideal De'Anthony Melton replacement
If De'Anthony Melton picks up his $3.5 million player option and assuming that Brandin Podziemski remains, the Warriors don't necessarily need another guard unless it's a legitimate shot-creator that can help generate offense.
However, should Melton opt out and walk away from Golden State, Ellis could be a viable alternative and someone Steve Kerr could plug-and-play at times next to Stephen Curry in the backcourt, or bring off the bench as a younger, better shooting version of Gary Payton II.
The Cavaliers might be low on Ellis and could be content with his departure, but that just serves up an opportunity for a team like the Warriors to pounce on a player who should only be getting better, and who has yet to really be given prime playing opportunity.
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