​LAS VEGAS — Keon Ellis, a guard for the Brooklyn Nets, could have chosen from a number of free-agency options after a standout playoff run with the Cleveland Cavaliers just months earlier. Brooklyn has been pursuing reliable depth during the free-agent period, and after Ellis decided to join the Nets, he explained what drew him to the team. “How much they wanted me. I think other teams were kind of offering, but I think just with how much they were offering that kind of just speaks to how much the team wants you as well,” Ellis told reporters at halftime of Brooklyn’s 83-76 loss to the Atlanta Hawks in the Las Vegas Summer League on Saturday. It was later confirmed that Ellis had signed a two-year, $18 million guaranteed contract with Brooklyn, per ESPN’s Shams Charania.
Ellis noted that having familiar faces around the organization can ease the transition. “Obviously you’ve got some guys on the staff that you’ve been with before, so you kind of know the ropes a little bit,” he said. “And then the opportunity here as well. So, when you combine all those things, I think they just lined up.” At 26 years old, Ellis arrives after a 2025-26 NBA season in which he averaged 6.7 points and 1.9 rebounds per game, shooting 44.0 percent from the field and 36.3 percent from three-point range across 72 games. His production last season was split between the Sacramento Kings and the Cavaliers, with Cleveland benefiting from a larger role that showcased his strengths more prominently than his stint with Sacramento.
Joining a Nets backcourt that already features a crowded group, Ellis is expected to contribute meaningfully as a reliable two-way guard. Egor Demin appears poised to step into the starting shooting guard role, while Nolan Traore and Mikel Brown Jr. contend for the starting point guard spot. Ellis’ reputation as one of the league’s better 3-and- D players should help him bring a versatile skill set to one of the NBA’s youngest teams. If he can replicate the impact he anticipated when he signed, Ellis could quickly become a valuable piece for Brooklyn as they build toward the future.
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