From a fairy-tale run to the NBA Finals last year to a 2–15 stumble without Tyrese Haliburton, the Indiana Pacers now find themselves searching for any spark they can get. That search has led them back to a familiar name. League chatter says the Pacers are renewing their trade pursuit of guard Keon Ellis, with several teams tracking a potential move as the Sacramento Kings weigh their own future. And with Sacramento sliding to 5–13, pressure is rising for a Kings trade that unlocks value before the season slips even further.
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.
Why the Pacers are circling back
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.
Multiple executives told HoopsHype that Indiana’s interest never faded. And with the Pacers tied with the Wizards at the bottom of the East, urgency has replaced patience. The Kings, meanwhile, are spiraling, and their rotation choices have only amplified the noise around Ellis.
This is the kind of move that shifts a season’s rhythm. Will the Pacers finally make the trade that pushes both franchises toward the next chapter?
