Keon Ellis has become one of the league’s most coveted under-the-radar guards, especially for a Pacers group starving for defensive balance. He averaged 8.3 points, 2.7 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 1.5 steals last year, and he shot a sharp 43.3 percent from three, production that has kept Indiana interested through every trade cycle. But his role has shrunk dramatically. He is logging just 17.4 minutes per game in 17 appearances this season, far from the 24.4 minutes he earned a year ago, a drop that only strengthens the Pacers’ belief that he’s being underused. Executives expected Sacramento to decline his $2.3 million option and negotiate a new deal as a restricted free agent. Instead, the Kings prioritized staying $3.2 million below the luxury tax. Now Ellis is set to enter unrestricted free agency in 2026, and whichever team acquires him will hold his Bird Rights.

Indiana needs defensive stability. They need guards who can survive chaos. They need someone who doesn’t flinch when the crowd roars. That’s where Ellis fits. Doesn’t chase noise: that’s his game. His value appears in the small possessions that tilt momentum. With the ability to guard wings and point guards using the same stubborn edge, he gives coaches a level of trust they can feel. And that quiet, winning style is the piece the Pacers have been missing all season.

LAC: The Clippers look dry and overcooked
Mirjam Swanson, OC Register

Coach Tyronn Lue has worked wonders before, but the players are either past their prime or not ready for prime time

LAC: Clippers look to turn rough start around
Janis Carr, OC Register

MEM: The Grizzlies are Prioritizing Passing
Statssac, Grizzly Bear Blues

MIN: Meet the Timberwolves’ new point guard: Anthony Edwards
Jon Krawczynski, The Athletic

MIN: Timberwolves mandatory team dinner first step in turning things around
Chris Hine, Star Tribune

MIN: Anthony Edwards and the Timberwolves are being tested
Steve Jones, Yahoo Sports

MIN: Timberwolves need a season-changing Jaden McDaniels adjustment
Eamon Cassels, Dunking With Wolves

NYK: Josh Hart has vision to enhance future NBA Cups
Stefan Bondy, NY Post

NYK: Knicks have lineup plan as Mike Brown owns mistake he won’t repeat
Stefan Bondy, NY Post

OKC: Jalen Williams injury update: OKC Thunder star available vs Suns to make season debut
Justin Martinez, The Oklahoman

ORL: Wagner brothers are teammates, roommates and best friends living out their NBA dream with the Magic
Rob Maaddi, AP

PHI: NBA intel: Maxey-Edgecombe comps, Embiid-PG plans, 76ers’ ceiling
Tim Bontemps, ESPN

PHI: Observations after Sixers get crushed by 41 points and injury list grows
Noah Levick, NBC Sports

PHX: Suns ready for ‘great test’ with 18-1 Oklahoma City Thunder
Duane Rankin, Arizona Republic

SAC: Kings seem intent on trading Keon Ellis (and someone needs to stop them)
Ian Goodwillie, A Royal Pain

With a much overdue rebuild on the horizon for the Sacramento Kings, the team has made it clear that they are open for business on basically the entire roster. Except for a few players, of course. One name who likely should be on the no-trade list is Keon Ellis, and no one really knows why he isn’t.

(it) increasingly seems like Ellis is a likely trade option for the Kings. Domantas Sabonis, DeMar DeRozan, and Zach LaVine are also high-priority trades, but their suitors are limited at best. Half the league is reputedly interested in Keon Ellis, and for good reason.

SAC: A Frustrated Zach LaVine Sounds Off After Another Tough Outing
James Mccauley, Sports Illustrated

The brief postgame for the Kings swingman ended with an inquiry into his frustration level. Put bluntly, LaVine said it was “not good. Guys are frustrated we’re not winning, guys are frustrated they’re not playing right, or playing in the way that would best suit them. . .we’re all trying our heart out though.”

Not too surprising of an answer from the Kings swingman here. Just about everyone with a working set of eyes can see this is one of the most imbalanced rosters in recent memory. For a team that is not trying to process-level-76ers tank, the roster construction is curious at best. Even tanking teams generally try to run out lineups that make sense, but that has simply not been the case in Sacramento.

SAS: The numbers that explain the Spurs’ success
JeJe Gomez, Pounding The Rock

SAS: Spurs’ Cup dreams stay alive
Matthew Tynan, Corporate Knowledge

TOR: The Raptors are better than everyone thought
Samson Folk/Caitlin Cooper, Raptors Republic

TOR: How Brandon Ingram has catalyzed Raptors’ offensive surge
Ian Finlayson, Sportsnet

TOR: Point guard finally a Raptors strength again thanks to Immanuel Quickley, Jamal Shead
Ryan Wolstat, Toronto Sun

TOR: Raptors problem solve, Ingram hits game winner, on their way to 9th straight win
Samson Folk, Raptors Republic

TOR: Raptors’ resurgence: Is Toronto a real threat in the East?
Sam Oshtry, The Score

Draft Scouting Files 11/18 – 11/25
Tyler Metcalf, No Ceilings

Potential first rounder Tounde Yessoufou raises some questions about his offensive game in the first month
Sam Vecenie, Game Theory

Hannes Steinbach
Rowan Kent, No Ceilings

Potential No. 1 pick Cam Boozer stars against Arkansas, proves that any team who doesn’t double him does so at its own risk
Sam Vecenie, No Ceilings

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