Keon Ellis

Keon Tyrese Ellis (born January 8, 2000) is an American professional basketball player for the Brooklyn Nets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Florida SouthWestern Buccaneers and the Alabama Crimson Tide.

High school career Ellis played basketball for Eustis High School in his hometown of Eustis, Florida before transferring to Leesburg High School in Leesburg, Florida for his junior season. He led Leesburg to back-to-back Class 6A state titles. As a senior, Ellis averaged 12.7 points, 11 rebounds and two assists per game, helping his team achieve a 29–1 record. He signed to play college basketball for Gardner–Webb but instead opted to join Florida SouthWestern, a junior college program, for academic reasons.

College career As a freshman at Florida SouthWestern, Ellis averaged 8.3 points and three rebounds per game, earning Second Team All-Suncoast Conference honors. On January 4, 2020, he scored a school-record 41 points in a 92–77 win against St. Petersburg College. In his sophomore season, Ellis averaged 18.1 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 2.1 steals per game, setting program single-season records in points and steals. He was recognized as a Second-Team NJCAA Division I All-American and Suncoast Player of the Year. For his junior season, Ellis moved to Alabama, choosing the Crimson Tide over Iowa State, Kansas State and Western Kentucky.

He averaged 5.5 points and four rebounds per game as a junior. Ellis was named to the SEC All-Defensive Team as a senior. He averaged 12.1 points, 6.1 rebounds and two steals per game.

Professional career Sacramento / Stockton Kings (2022–2026) After going undrafted in the 2022 NBA draft, Ellis signed a two-way contract with the Sacramento Kings on July 2, 2022. Ellis played in seven total games during the 2022 NBA Summer League, averaging 11.4 points on 44.1% shooting from the field and an impressive 46.9% from three, 3.6 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 2.0 steals per game. He made 16 appearances for Sacramento during his rookie campaign, averaging 1.5 points, 0.5 rebounds, and 0.4 assists.

On July 2, 2023, Ellis signed another two-way contract with Sacramento and on February 9, 2024, he signed a multi-year contract with the Kings. On April 9, Ellis scored a career–high 26 points in a loss against the Oklahoma City Thunder. He made 57 appearances (including 21 starts) for the Kings during the 2023–24 NBA season, averaging 5.4 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 1.5 assists. On April 17, Ellis helped the Kings to a play-in tournament victory over the Golden State Warriors, with 15 points, five assists, four rebounds, three steals and three blocks.

On November 18, 2024, Ellis scored a new career-high 33 points with nine three-pointers in a loss against the Atlanta Hawks. He made 80 appearances (including 28 starts) for Sacramento in the 2024–25 season, recording averages of 8.3 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 1.5 assists. Ellis played in 43 games (including five starts) for the Kings during the 2025–26 season, averaging 5.6 points, 1.3 rebounds, and 0.6 assists. During Ellis' tenure with the Kings, the team's fans praised him for his perimeter defense and shooting.

Cleveland Cavaliers (2026) On February 1, 2026, Ellis was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers in a three-team trade that also included the Chicago Bulls. Ellis showcased his defense, hustle and, efforts as he averaged 8.3 points, 1.6 assists, 1.3 steals, and 0.8 block in 29 regular season games with the Cavs. He also made the post-season with the Cavs as he had fallen out of the rotation with only averaging 1.6 points in only 7.4 minutes of playing time.

Brooklyn Nets (2026–present) On July 6, 2026, Ellis signed a two-year, $18 million contract with the Brooklyn Nets.

Career statistics

NBA Regular season

Playoffs

College NCAA Division I

JUCO

Personal life Ellis' older brother, Antwon Clayton, played college basketball for Jacksonville before turning professional.