Keon

Ellis

Huerter suffered a torn labrum in his left shoulder in mid-March and underwent surgery to remedy the issue on March 29. In addition to resuming on-court activities, he has been cleared for shooting drills and a complete strength training regimen. According to the Kings, Huerter will be re-evaluated in mid-October, which means he will not be fully ready for the start of training camp. Red Velvet wasn’t a great fantasy option last season, and the addition of DeMar DeRozan considerably lowers his fantasy floor (and ceiling). As for the starting shooting guard position, Malik Monk and Keon Ellis are the competitors, with the former offering a higher fantasy ceiling regardless of the outcome.

Given how well Ellis has played this summer and his minutes tally on Wednesday, it’s fair to question if the Kings will shut him down. His offensive role will be comparatively limited once the season begins, as the Kings can rely on De’Aaron Fox, DeMar DeRozan, and Domantas Sabonis to shoulder most of the workload. However, Ellis earned rotation minutes last season, including a move into the starting lineup after Kevin Huerter suffered a season-ending shoulder injury. Ellis will be worth a roll of the dice in the latter rounds of drafts.

Ellis broke out for Sacramento late last season because of his defense, but he was able to showcase some offensive firepower in this game. Though he did have some turnover issues, he was by far the best offensive player in this game. Managers shouldn’t expect an offensive explosion next season, especially with DeMar DeRozan joining the team. However, he should be on the floor because of his defense, so if he is able to contribute offensively as well, Ellis could be in for a big season. He should be worth a late round dart throw.

Ellis wasn’t as productive as in Sacramento’s summer opener on Saturday, but he was plenty effective as the Kings moved to 2-0. Four Kings scored in double figures, led by undrafted rookie Boogie Ellis (no relation), who scored 17. Of the players on the roster, Keon has the most significant chance of being in the opening night rotation. He had a bench role for most of last season, moving into the starting lineup after Kevin Huerter went down with a season-ending shoulder injury. Ellis didn’t offer consistent fantasy value in 2023-24, but there were times when he was worth streaming in deep leagues. What the Kings likely want to see this summer is for him to dominate against less experienced players.

While the rookies tend to receive most of the attention during summer league action, the progress made by returnees should not be ignored. Ellis, who passed the since-traded Davion Mitchell in the rotation last season, is looking to prove that he should remain in the rotation in 2024-25. He had an excellent start to his summer on Saturday, scoring efficiently while performing well as a distributor and defender. The question in the short term is how much Ellis will play this summer, especially with first-round pick Devin Carter (shoulder) sidelined.

Consistency has been an issue for Ellis since moving into the starting lineup, but he had a solid showing on Friday. One night after scoring five points in a loss to the Pelicans, he contributed 17 points against the Suns. Ellis has reached double figures in only three of the seven games he’s played in April, and Sacramento needs more with Kevin Huerter (shoulder) and Malik Monk (knee) sidelined. All five starters scored in double figures for the Kings on Friday. That includes De’Aaron Fox, who amassed 23 points, five rebounds, six assists, four steals, and three 3-pointers in 41 minutes. The Kings need a win over Portland and a Lakers’ loss to the Pelicans on Sunday to earn the 8-seed ahead of next week’s Play-In tournament.

While it may have been a defeat, Ellis had the best individual night of his NBA career on Tuesday. He established new highs in points and 3-pointers while recording a full stat line. Ellis’ four turnovers weren’t great, but the overall body of work made up for that. With Kevin Huerter (shoulder) done for the season and Malik Monk (knee) also sidelined, the door has swung wide open for Ellis. He made the most of his opportunity on Tuesday, and at 28% rostered in Yahoo leagues, he’s worth a look for managers whose competitions remain active.

Monk injured his knee during the first half of Friday’s loss to the Kings. The reported timeline means the Kings will need to go in a run in the Western Conference playoffs if Monk is to play again this season. As for fantasy basketball, his absence makes it even more critical that managers add Keon Ellis. Kessler Edwards and Chris Duarte are also available for more rotation minutes, but Ellis is the play here.

Ellis started a sixth straight game on Friday, and with Kevin Huerter officially done for the season, Ellis should continue to be in that role for the remainder of the year. He logged 38 minutes on Friday after Malik Monk exited early with a knee injury. It came after Luka Doncic fell on his leg, and it is unclear if Monk will miss more than just this game. Chris Duarte only played seven minutes, so Mike Brown seems content rolling with Ellis. He should continue to see big minutes and provide solid value with both 3-pointers and defensive production.

As expected, Huerter will not return this season, though he is expected to make a full recovery before the 2024-25 season. Keon Ellis should be their starting shooting guard for the rest of the year and provide them with an excellent defense on the perimeter. That should also mean extra minutes for Chris Duarte off the bench, though Malik Monk will still be the primary reserve option.