The New York Knicks were once the exclusive negotiating partner of the Milwaukee Bucks in regard to a trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo. Times have changed, however, as the market is flooding with interest and the Bucks are open to negotiating with other franchises.
While the Knicks must remain in the hunt for Antetokounmpo, other opportunities now exist for Leon Rose to bolster the rotation with a low-cost trade for Keon Ellis that can improve their championship odds.
New York has an elite starting lineup with OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges, Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, and Karl-Anthony Towns. It also has a number of talented reserves, including Jordan Clarkson, Miles McBride, Mitchell Robinson, and Guerschon Yabusele.
For as intriguing as the nine-man rotation may be, the Knicks are in need of improvements to their defensive depth in the backcourt and the general consistency beyond the starters in the frontcourt.
A trade for Antetokounmpo would offset those concerns by the sheer magnitude of his generational talent, of course, even if some weaknesses remain. It's far from guaranteed to transpire, however, and that means the Knicks need to evaluate other options.
Thankfully, with all eyes on Antetokounmpo, the Knicks are in an ideal position to make a splash with a trade for Ellis that can make them stronger contenders.
Knicks can use NBA's fixation on Giannis to focus on adding Keon Ellis
The Sacramento Kings are 5-17, flush with veterans competing for minutes, and struggling to strike a balance between the present and the future. Ellis has struggled more than most in the latter regard, as his minutes have been cut from 24.4 per game in 2024-25 to 17.7 in 2025-26.
Compounded by the fact that Ellis will be an unrestricted free agent in 2026, many believe he'll be a prime trade candidate once the wheels start turning on Association-wide negotiations.
With this in mind, New York should be aggressive in its efforts to bring in one of the best 3-and-D players in the NBA. Ellis is a career 42.5 percent shooter from beyond the arc and a catch-and-shoot specialist who would fit perfectly under head coach Mike Brown—whom he's already played for.
Ellis played for Brown from 2022-23 to 2024-25, shooting 41.7 and 43.3 percent from three in 2023-24 and 2024-25 respectively, as well as 42.4 and 43.3 percent on catch-and-shoot threes.
That alone makes Ellis an ideal fit with the Knicks. They currently rank No. 4 in the NBA in catch-and-shoot three-point field goal attempts per game, thus revealing how a trademark of Brown's coaching career has already translated to New York.
The difference between Ellis and many of the catch-and-shoot specialists on the Knicks, however, is that he offers just as much value on defense.
Keon Ellis is the low-cost, two-way talent the Knicks need
Ellis boasts career averages of 1.2 steals per game and 2.2 per 36 minutes, which bodes well for a New York side that's No. 20 in the former statistic as a team. He's also produced a career mark of 1.1 blocks per 36 minutes, which further displays how active he is as a defensive playmaker.
Beyond the box score, Ellis is willing and able to defend scorers and playmakers of the highest order—an ability that the Knicks can struggle with when the starters aren't playing.
Thus far in 2025-26, the four players who have attempted the most shots against Ellis are Devin Booker, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Lauri Markkanen, and Ajay Mitchell. They've shot a combined 7-of-26 from the field. A season ago, the top four in that same statistic against Ellis were Anthony Edwards, James Harden, Gilgeous-Alexander, and Tyler Herro.
With a proven willingness and ability to defend top-end talent, Ellis is exactly who the Knicks need to make their second unit a legitimate strength.
As far as what a trade might look like, Ellis' $2.3 million salary can prove complicated to match, but not impossible. New York has five players making $5.5 million or less, as well as Robinson's $12.9 million contract that could become a trade chip the Kings covet considering their lack of rim protection.
If the Knicks are able to negotiate a mutually beneficial deal, then adding Ellis while the rest of the NBA is focused on Antetokounmpo would take them over the top in the Eastern Conference.