The Denver Nuggets should be targeting Keon Ellis for a defensive upgrade off the bench next year. He was already on the radar as a free agent that should be on the Nuggets' list of bargain upgrades, and it's possible the Cleveland Cavaliers sunk his price for the Nuggets simply by shortening their playoff rotation.
In the latest edition of The Stein Line, NBA insider Jake Fischer thinks that the Cavs are going to prioritize Dean Wade over Ellis, and he also thinks the overall market for Ellis "has seemingly taken a bit of a hit since February, when league sources say half the league was expressing interest in acquiring him from Sacramento via trade."
That's largely because Ellis was mostly absent from the Cavs' playoff rotation. But if fewer teams are courting Ellis for his bargain perimeter defense, the bargain could come at an even lower price, and the Nuggets can't pass up the chance to land a perfect buy-low player who fits the Nuggets for 2026-27.
Ellis would be a substantial defensive upgrade off the bench
Ellis would be a large upgrade over Tim Hardaway Jr off the bench defensively. Hardaway's a three-point specialist who connected on a career-high 224 made threes in the Nikola Jokic-led offense. But Ellis is a defensive specialist first, with upside in his three-point shot.
Maybe in the Nuggets offense, Ellis could get back to the same form he had with the Kings in 2024-25, where he shot 43.3% from beyond the arc and 48.9% from the floor. He also averaged 1.5 steals per game that season and 1.2 this year, split between the Sacramento Kings and the Cavs. Hardaway only averaged 0.5 steals this year, just below his career average of 0.6.
The offensive upside and the major defensive upgrade make Ellis a no-brainer for the Nuggets to consider. Especially at a lower price if the market pushes in that direction. The former undrafted two-way player shouldn't command a high price, and if he's going to cost the Nuggets the same as bringing back Hardaway, Ellis should be the pick.
Ellis does not fit all the Nuggets needs
Unfortunately, Ellis really only solves the Nuggets' defensive needs on the perimeter off the bench. He's not a ball-control specialist, but he is athletic, and he'd be great next to Jamal Murray, who was a liability against the Minnesota Timberwolves guards.
There won't be many options available to the Nuggets at the bargain price Ellis can offer. Hopefully, their pitch for why he should sign in Denver is good.
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