The disappointing Game 1 loss to the Chicago Bulls brought forward significant concerns for the Detroit Pistons. The team lacked offensive juice for most of the game, with the lack of shooting and spacing being made very obvious. Without Jaden Ivey for at least the first month of the season, shot creation and shot making were always going to be issues, but likely few Pistons fans thought it would look as bad as it did in the first game of the season.
Obviously, not too much should be taken away from a single game. The Pistons should and will play better. But the fact that they need to get more shooting on the floor is undeniable. Fortunately for them, a perfect three-and-D player may now be available.
Keon Ellis Is the Ideal Pistons Trade Target
Kings insider Matt George revealed on his appearance on ESPN 1320 Sacramento that he is "under a pretty significant impression that the belief amongst the Sacramento Kings organization is that Keon Ellis is more replaceable than people are making him out to be." Considering that the Kings added Dennis Schröder and Russell Westbrook in the offseason, and only played Ellis 13 minutes in their season opener, this makes sense.
This is difficult to understand from the Kings' perspective since Ellis is one of the most underrated three-and-D guards in the NBA. They have a ton of ball-dominant offense-first players, and very few off-ball, defense-first options. Deciding that Ellis is the player you want to give up on that equation seems silly, but one shouldn't be too surprised when it comes to the Kings' management.
For the Pistons, Ellis is the type of player who fits head coach J.B. Bickerstaff's play style perfectly. The 25-year-old wouldn't sacrifice Detroit's defensive integrity, as he is an excellent defender who can guard multiple positions. Not only is he a solid one-on-one defender, but he also makes a ton of plays, as highlighted by his 1.5 steals and 0.8 blocks in only 24 minutes per game last season.
Perhaps more importantly for the Pistons, however, Ellis has shot over 40% from three every season of his career. He doesn't have the highest volume as a shooter, but as a 42.9% shooter from downtown on six three-point attempts per 36 minutes, he is a significant upgrade over other options on the Pistons.
What makes Ellis even more attractive is that he only makes $2.3 million this season. He is on an expiring contract, and the Pistons would have to give him a contract extension in the offseason, but his current salary makes a trade very easy to construct. The Pistons could attach Marcus Sasser, Javonte Green, or Bobi Klintman next to a first-round pick or two and acquire Ellis.
If Ellis is, in fact, as available as he seems, it behooves Detroit general manager Trajan Langdon to make a call to Sacramento.