The Golden State Warriors have been linked to Keon Ellis on some level for the better part of the past year. The Sacramento Kings have made their interest in Jonathan Kuminga well known and Ellis was often regarded as a player Golden State should hope to get back in a sign-and-trade or general swap.
Unfortunately, the opportunity to land one of the best young 3-and-D wings in the NBA has passed after the rival Cleveland Cavaliers acted first.
Ellis, 26, burst onto the scene in 2024-25 as a player whose defensive intensity never wavered despite his team's underwhelming quality. He became even more intriguing due to his elite efficiency from beyond the arc at 43.3 percent on 4.0 attempts per game.
Unfortunately, Cleveland managed to get Ellis by swapping De'Andre Hunter for a package that centered around the 3-and-D specialist and Dennis Schröder. Per Shams Charania of ESPN:
"The Cleveland Cavaliers traded De'Andre Hunter to the Sacramento Kings for Dennis Schroder and Keon Ellis, the team announced on Sunday. The three-team deal includes the Chicago Bulls acquiring Kings forward Dario Saric and two future second-round picks."
Though this specific package of Ellis and Schröder may not have appealed to Golden State, there are still thoughts of what could've been.
Cavaliers acquire Keon Ellis before the Warriors could finally do so
Schröder played for the Warriors in 2024-25 and was traded after making just 24 appearances with the team. The difference between Cleveland's offer and Golden State's hypothetical package, however, is that Hunter is 28, effectively who he will be as an NBA player, and has a fully guaranteed season remaining on his contract.
Kuminga, meanwhile, is 23 years of age with a club option and upside that's yet to be adequately explored in the Association.
As such, it's fair to believe that Golden State could've negotiated a more beneficial deal than what Cleveland agreed to. The Cavaliers, of course, actually need depth at point guard, thus making Schröder less of an awkward fit than he would've been with the Warriors.
The harsh reality appears to be, however, that the Warriors aren't going to do much until the Giannis Antetokounmpo situation is resolved.
Warriors clearly all in on Giannis Antetokounmpo
It's become clear that Antetokounmpo is Golden State's top priority on the trade market. It's not very difficult to understand why, as the two-time MVP is one of the greatest players in NBA history and finally a realistic trade target for interested parties.
Even still, the opportunity to improve in the margins should never be written off as a meaningless endeavor when depth is so essential to success in the NBA.
With Ellis off the board, the Warriors may soon be forced to come to terms with how few true 3-and-D players there really are on the open market. There are many who provide quality, but the list is short in terms of wings who truly thrive on both ends of the floor within their role.
One can only hope that the Warriors' big swing pays off as the pressure mounts following the lost opportunity to acquire a perfect fit.