The Sacramento Kings’ lone trade deadline addition of De’Andre Hunter played just 51 games over two games with his new team before requiring season ending eye surgery. It’s an unfortunate scenario with no side at fault, but how have Keon Ellis and Dennis Schroder performed for Cleveland?
Greg Swartz, NBA writer for Bleacher Report, joined Kevin “Whitey” Gleason and Allen Stiles on The Drive Guys to share how the former Kings have fit in with the Cavaliers, the future of their veterans, the 2026 NBA Draft, and more.
Ellis spent three and a half seasons with Sacramento after joining them as an undrafted free agent in 2022. He became a fan favorite as constant questions over his lack of playing time existed throughout both head coach Mike Brown and Doug Chrisite.
Headed into unrestricted free agency this offseason, general manager Scott Perry elected to move on from Ellis. Perry’s first “big” offseason addition, projected starting point guard Dennis Schroder, was also moved in the deal. He was just 40 games into a three-year, $45 million deal.
“They both have been pretty important pieces off the bench,” Scwartz told The Drive Guys.
“From day one, those two guys have kind of been important bench players for them. Dennis Schroder has not shot the ball well. I appreciate the hustle and the energy that he brings on a nightly basis. And the Cavs had way too many nice guys, and they need guys with a little bit of feistiness to them, and I think that Dennis brings that. And then Keon shot the ball well, I’d like to see them even put him in a bigger role. He’s been extension eligible for a while now, and they haven’t come to terms on any type of deal, but he’s played well overall. I had higher expectations out of Keon Ellis when the trade was made, and he’s proven me right. So far, he’s been a solid piece for him.”
Scwartz’s thoughts on Ellis seem to remain commonplace, even as the 3&D guard has changed uniforms.
Since joining Cleveland, Ellis is shooting 36.3 percent from three with 8.1 points and 1.4 steals in 24.8 minutes per night. Meanwhile, Schroder has tallied two starts over 23 appearances with 7.9 points, 4.2 assists, and 2.1 rebounds on 38.4 percent shooting.
Dario Saric was also included in the deal, but the Chicago Bulls waived him right after acquiring him in the three-team deal.
The Drive Guys‘ conversation with Scwartz shifted into the current rostered players who could be on the move sooner rather than later. Veterans DeMar DeRozan and Russell Westbrook have provided leadership to a young roster, but winning games hasn’t been common. DeRozan has one season remaining at roughly 25 million, only partially guaranteed. Westbrook’s one-year deal expires this offseason.
“I would be fine going ahead and fully guaranteeing (DeRozan’s) contract at another $15 million and just seeing… he’s on an expiring deal.” The trade value of expiring contracts, especially when teams know their clear needs around the deadline, is always smart for teams near the bottom of the standings to acquire more assets. It’s worth noting that Perry attempted to move DeRozan at the past deadline, but there didn’t seem to be any serious takers.
Westbrook, given his expiring status, is a different case in Scwartz’s mind. “I don’t see any reason to bring back Russell Westbrook,” he said.
“I think Russell Westbrook, at this point, would probably prefer to play for a championship. I don’t know how many offers you know he’s going to have in free agency. I think it just takes a very specific type of roster to fit Russell Westbrook in. But if you’re the Kings you have to get younger. You have to hope that you have a very good night on draft lottery night and you can get a future franchise centerpiece, which I don’t think you have right now as a young player, to kind of guide the franchise around. So if DeRozan wants to come back on expiring deal, perfectly fine with that. You can talk about potential trades if you fully guarantee that contract and bring him back. But Westbrook, no, I don’t think there’s any reason for him to be back in Sacramento.”
Their conversations continued into the 2026 NBA Draft, and Scwartz thinks it could be that franchise-saving piece for Perry, Christie, and the Kings. Plus, plenty more!
Check out the full interview with Greg Scwartz by scrolling to the top of the page or by clicking here.
Listen to The Drive Guys from 2 – 6 p.m. PST, Monday through Friday, on Sactown Sports 1140.
More Sacramento Kings content from Sactown Sports
When is the next Sacramento Kings game?
The Sacramento Kings will conclude its final road trip of the season on Wednesday night when the face the Toronto Raptors at Scotiabank Arena.
Sacramento dropped a 122-109 contest to the Raptors at Golden 1 Center back on January 21st as Scottie Barnes scored 23 points in the win.
Be sure to catch all of the Sacramento Kings vs. Toronto Raptors action right here on Sactown Sports 1140 AM, with pregame coverage beginning at 2:00 PM PT on The Drive Guys before a 5:00 pm PT tip-off from downtown Toronto.
Upcoming Sacramento Kings schedule for the 2025-26 season
- Wednesday, April 1st @ Toronto Raptors – 5:00 PM PT
- Friday, April 3rd vs. New Orleans Pelicans – 7:00 PM PT
- Sunday, April 5th vs. Los Angeles Clippers – 6:00 PM PT
- Tuesday, April 7th @ Golden State Warriors – 7:00 PM PT
- Friday, April 10th vs. Golden State Warriors – 7:00 PM PT
- Sunday, April 12th @ Portland Trail Blazers – 5:30 PM PT
Thank you for reading SactownSports.com. Follow us on Twitter and Google News, and subscribe to our YouTube channel.
