The Phoenix Suns find themselves in a two-way battle to secure the services of Jonathan Kuminga as the calendar gets set to flip to August, although the Golden State Warriors may yet decide to pull the plug on trading him this summer at all. The other team in question that is pushing to land the 22-year-old?
The Sacramento Kings, and they might just have the inside track. Rumors have emerged that Kuminga currently prefers a move to Sacramento because he's been promised a starting role, while the Kings also have a first round pick they can add to any potential package. As of now the Suns are thought to have offered Nick Richards, Royce O'Neale and four second round selections.
This is Suns' chance to steal Keon Ellis from Kings.
If the Kings do wind up with Kuminga, there can still be a positive outcome for the Suns. That's because Sacramento picked up the team option on Keon Ellis' contract earlier this offseason, despite rarely ever using him. He's making essentially the minimum next season, before hitting unrestricted free agency in 2026.
A smart front office of a contending team should trade for Keon Ellis. Could he be the next Alex Caruso? Here’s why: 🧵 pic.twitter.com/ywbzVQ5eX3
— Ryan Miele (@BuckAnalytics) July 17, 2025
Ellis has managed a shade under 20 minutes for his career so far - and although he is yet another shooting guard at a time when the Suns don't need more of them - he's much more defensive-minded than both Jalen Green and Devin Booker. As you can see from the chart above, he's no slouch offensively either and it feels like there's another level to his game to unlock on that end.
Ellis works hard off the ball on both ends, and is a tenacious on ball defender as well. The Suns are trying to build a roster of defensive players - having ignored that area of the court for the duration of the Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal experience - with youngsters like Ryan Dunn, Oso Ighodaro and Khaman Maluach looking like they will be able to help in a big way next season.
Then there is Dillon Brooks - perhaps the most underrated signing of all on that end - who could be the key to unlocking so much on that end for the team. What does Ellis have to do with all of this? The Kings don't really use him anyway, and if they add Kuminga that's even less minutes for the 25-year-old.
They would surely give him up for next to nothing - a couple of the second round picks the Suns still have if they don't land Kuminga for example - and they could even turn the Kuminga trade into a three-teamer. If the Suns could nab Ellis that way, he'd quickly become a fan favorite and could do the job that Cody Martin looked like he might had he been given the chance. An intriguing opportunity.