The Sacramento Kings were the strongest team linked to Jonathan Kuminga during his free agency in the offseason, but they were ultimately unwilling to meet the demands of the Golden State Warriors who were eventually able to re-sign the young forward.
However, the misuse and snubbing of Keon Ellis in Doug Christie's rotation early this season suggests that Sacramento's decision not to move for Kuminga in a sign-and-trade has been the wrong one so far.
Warriors may have accepted Keon Ellis in a Jonathan Kuminga trade
Golden State had no interest in the likes of Devin Carter, Dario Saric and then Malik Monk, but they may have been willing to relinquish their former seventh overall pick had the pacific rival made Ellis available.
According to Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee at the end of July, Ellis and fellow young player Keegan Murray were both off limits from the Kings in Kuminga sign-and-trade talks.
"The Warriors would probably be quick to pull the trigger on a deal involving Keegan Murray or Keon Ellis. However, a source with knowledge of trade conversations told The Sacramento Bee that Murray and Ellis have not been discussed and both are considered off limits in talks for Kuminga," Anderson wrote.
It was understandable that Sacramento would consider Murray and Ellis untouchable in talks. They would have wanted to retain their 3-and-D type players to fit next to Kuminga, particularly when they have so many ball-dominant players like Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan and Domantas Sabonis.
Since that point though, Ellis has been completely and inexplicable under-utilized by the Kings amid their disastrous 3-9 start to the season. The 25-year-old has made just one start and is averaging only 18.8 minutes per game, ranked eighth on what is a mediocre Sacramento team that also hasn't had access to Murray due to a preseason injury.
It's not as if Ellis hasn't been good in his minutes either. The fourth-year guard is shooting a blistering 46.7% from 3-point range, while ranking a respectable fourth in plus-minus among Kings players to be averaging at least 16 minutes per game.
If the Kings weren't going to deliver Ellis a significant role in a loaded (but underwhelming) backcourt, then why make him untouchable in Kuminga trade talks? It's just another baffling decision from a franchise that's made a habit of such moves over the past two decades.
Perhaps Ellis is involved in further mid-season trade talks surrounding Kuminga, particularly after the 23-year-old was demoted to the bench in Golden State's 125-120 victory over the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday.