The Brooklyn Nets came into the 2026 NBA offseason with the hope of improving the roster as much as possible after finishing the 2025-26 season with a lowly 20-62 record. Brooklyn has already done what it could to pick the players that could be the future of the team, but one of the Nets‘ free-agency signings is being looked at favorably by others around the league.
“After a midseason trade from the Sacramento Kings, Keon Ellis averaged 8.3 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.3 threes in 24.8 minutes for the Cleveland Cavaliers. And he instantly became one of their more reliable perimeter defenders,” Bleacher Report’s NBA staff wrote on Ellis following the news of the signing. For some time now, Ellis has been considered one of the better players that can stretch the floor with his shooting while providing valuable defense on the other side of the floor.
“Now, after the mini-breakout for a competitive team, he’s headed back to a rebuilder for a decent bit of money. With Michael Porter Jr. and Julius Randle both likely to play heavy minutes, Brooklyn needed some lower-usage guards or wings who could help on defense,” B/R’s NBA staff continued. “And Ellis certainly checks those boxes. And getting that for a salary that accounts for less than six percent of the cap is a good deal.”
B/R gave the Nets a B+ for their signing of Ellis and it makes sense given that they were able to get a player of his caliber for essentially one year and $9 million given that the second year is a team option. Ellis, 26, is coming off a 2025-26 season in which he averaged 6.7 points and 1.9 rebounds per game while shooting 44.0% from the field and 36.3% from behind the three-point line in 72 games split between the Sacramento Kings and Cleveland Cavaliers.
As it stands as of this writing, it seems that Brooklyn’s starting lineup next season will be Mikel Brown Jr., Egor Demin, Michael Porter Jr., Julius Randle, and Day’Ron Sharpe. In that regard, Ellis figures to be one of the depth guards coming off the bench and with forward Ziaire Williams potentially leaving the team in free-agency, the former Alabama alum could fit that 3-and-D role for head coach Jordi Fernandez.
This article originally appeared on Nets Wire: Nets get B+ grade for signing Keon Ellis in NBA free-agency
