REPORT: The Los Angeles Lakers are trying to acquire Keon Ellis from the Sacramento Kings in exchange for Gabe Vincent and a 2032 second round pick!

The Los Angeles Lakers are reportedly exploring a deal to acquire promising guard Keon Ellis from the Sacramento Kings, according to league sources. The proposed trade would send veteran guard Gabe Vincent and a 2032 second-round pick to the Kings in exchange for Ellis.

Keon Ellis, a 24-year-old two-way player who earned a standard NBA contract after going undrafted in 2022, has steadily risen in Sacramento’s rotation. Known for his defensive intensity, three-point shooting, and off-ball movement, Ellis carved out a meaningful role for the Kings last season, especially late in the year. His upside as a 3-and-D guard makes him a compelling target for a Lakers team seeking youth, energy, and perimeter defense around stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

The Lakers’ interest in Ellis reflects their continued efforts to reshape the backcourt and add depth following a turbulent 2024-25 campaign. While Gabe Vincent was brought in last offseason with high expectations after a strong playoff run in Miami, his first season in L.A. was derailed by injuries and inconsistency, limiting his impact.

From Sacramento’s perspective, the trade would bring in a more experienced backup guard in Vincent, along with a future draft asset — albeit a distant one in 2032. The move could help the Kings clear up minutes for other young guards while adding a veteran presence to support their playoff ambitions.

While the deal is not yet finalized, talks are reportedly active. If completed, it would mark another move in what has been a busy offseason for both franchises — the Lakers looking to build a more cohesive supporting cast, and the Kings fine-tuning their depth around De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis.

More updates are expected as discussions continue.

The post Lakers trade proposal lands Marcus Smart in Wizards deal appeared first on ClutchPoints.

The 2025 edition of the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas has begun, and the Los Angeles Lakers’ search for upgrades up and down their roster continues along. According to ClutchPoints Senior Lakers insider Anthony Irwin, LA is “hoping to reignite trade talks” during Summer League, with one of their potential targets being former Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart.

Smart, however, is no longer the player he once was. In fact, the Memphis Grizzlies had to attach a first-round pick just so they could get rid of Smart and his contract, and the Washington Wizards obliged. Smart once had one of the best contracts in the league, and yet here he is, having little to no trade value whatsoever, which could then pave the way for the Lakers to snag him for cheap.

He’s in the final year of his deal making around $21 million, and Smart, if not traded, appears likely to be headed for the buyout market. But the Lakers would have many competitors in such a scenario, and trading for Smart allows them to get ahead of the competition in what could be a comeback season of sorts for the 2022 DPOY.

Here’s the package the Lakers must put together to acquire Smart in a trade with the Wizards.

Lakers upgrade their backup point guard

Lakers acquire: Marcus Smart

Wizards acquire: Gabe Vincent, Maxi Kleber, 2032 second-round pick

Towards the end of the 2024-25 season, Gabe Vincent began to round into form for the Lakers, looking like the man they signed off free agency from the Miami Heat in 2023. It was a major bounce-back for Vincent, who played in just 11 games for the Lakers in his disastrous first season in LA.

At the end of the day, Vincent, while a solid 3-and-D bench point guard, could not recapture the form he had for the Miami Heat now that he’s on the Lakers. He averaged 6.4 points on 40 percent shooting last year, and he looms as a huge trade chip for the Lakers now that he’s in the final year of his contract making $11 million.

What made Vincent valuable for the Lakers last season was that he showed up for the majority of the season, suiting up in 72 games and providing some much-needed backcourt versatility for the Purple and Gold. Giving him up for Smart requires the Lakers to take a risk and have faith that the 2022 DPOY isn’t damaged goods quite yet.

That requires a lot of positive thinking, as the Grizzlies, the team that acquired Smart to be their de facto Dillon Brooks replacement, had to give up a first-rounder just so they could get his contract off the books. Smart hasn’t been at his best physically over the past few seasons, picking up a knock here and there which added up to a ton of missed time

Last year, Smart played in just 34 games, and over the past two campaigns, he suited up in just 54 contests. Availability may not be the best ability, but it sure does matter a lot, and for a Lakers squad that’s looking to compete for a championship in the loaded Western Conference, Smart would need to play a ton of minutes in the event that he lands in LA — putting him at risk of picking up injuries.

There is a chance that the 31-year-old won’t be able to return to his DPOY form, although even then, he would represent an upgrade over Vincent. But it’s not quite clear if the Lakers could afford to play it safe with Smart by giving him occasional rest days and not overworking him. LA may not have such luxury, especially if they’re trading away a valuable bench piece in Vincent in the process.

But at the very least, Smart showed that he can still play solid basketball for stretches. His shooting percentages improved towards the end of last season when he was with the Wizards, and in LA, he won’t be tasked to do much of anything other than to defend, hit open shots, and ruffle opponents’ feathers.

The expectation for Smart should the Lakers trade for him would be for him to play at least 65 games, play 20 minutes a night, and act as a key piece of a Purple and Gold squad that aims to recapture the defensive heights they reached last year.

With the departure of Dorian Finney-Smith, acquiring a multi-positional defender is a must for the Lakers, and Smart, while undersized relative to Finney-Smith, has shown he can battle against the premier scorers of the association — provided he remains healthy, of course.

For the opportunity to perhaps facilitate a career revival for Smart, the Lakers, in this scenario, will be giving up Maxi Kleber and a 2032 second-rounder as well. That second-rounder is seven years out, so that should not matter too much for a team looking to win now.

Kleber could be a valuable stretch big option, but one would think that the Lakers would want to keep Jarred Vanderbilt over Kleber instead when choosing who to include for salary-matching purposes.