At roughly around 8 P.M. PST, the LA Clippers may have been winding down for the day en route to a long night’s worth of rest. Meanwhile, the Cleveland Cavaliers, a rival of LA’s in the Eastern Conference, were wide awake, as they pulled off a three-team trade with the Sacramento Kings and Chicago Bulls to land Keon Eliis and Dennis Schroder, two guards, in which one, the 26-year-old 3-and-D phenom, had the Clippers’ eye.
At the end of the trade, the Cavaliers improved their backcourt significantly, while the Kings snagged De’Andre Hunter and the Bulls got hold of Dario Saric and two first-round picks; it was the first three-team trade in recent memory, with likely more to come on Thursday’s deadline.
BREAKING: The Cleveland Cavaliers are trading De'Andre Hunter to the Sacramento Kings for Dennis Schroder and Keon Ellis, sources tell ESPN. The three-team deal includes the Chicago Bulls acquiring Kings forward Dario Saric and two future second-round picks. pic.twitter.com/Hoc6bP0hhj
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 1, 2026
Thus, the Clippers have to feel bitter that Ellis is gone, and extension-eligible with Cleveland. He was perfect for LA’s system, but for some reason, the front office continued to hit snooze while the Kings were progressing him through the trade machine.
The Clippers lost an excellent, potential backup in Keon Ellis to the Cleveland Cavaliers
Not long ago, Marc Stein had reported that a Keon Ellis trade was bound to happen. Stein emphasized the level of interest in him around the NBA. Once again, he lived up to his credible track record of accuracy, as Ellis went from a Sacramento King to a Cleveland Cavalier.
However, fans of the LA Clippers wish they were currently in the Cavaliers’ shoes, celebrating the acquisition of Ellis. He is an outlier-producer on both sides of the ball, but his appeal lies in three areas: age, three-point shooting, and defense.
In fact, Ellis is only in his fourth season, has a career three-point percentage of 41.6%, and is highly regarded as a top-tier defensive mind. He is as ideal as they come, yet the Cavaliers took him in with the evident intention of replacing Lonzo Ball.
Furthermore, with Ellis in a new land of opportunity, the Clippers must to click the search bar and start looking from scratch for their next backup point guard. They cannot end the deadline standstill with James Harden’s fatigue, which has affected his efficiency, making a silent plea.
That said, it could have been the Clippers’ playoff hopes that would have increased, yet instead it is Cleveland’s with Ellis. They needed help in the backcourt, and surely received it with not one, but two former Kings that will inevitably provide solid assistance alongside Donovan Mitchell.