The Detroit Pistons may look for a big swing this summer, but with their payroll set to go up, they also need to find cheap contributors on the fringes, and one player who could be a perfect fit is Keon Ellis.Â
Ellis keeps finding himself in bad situations for him to thrive, as he was inexplicably stuck on the bench in Sacramento, and eventually landed there again in the playoffs for Cleveland.Â
Ellis needs a change of scenery to a place where he can get regular minutes to build the confidence he sometimes lacks on offense. He’s a good defender, 3-point shooter and should come cheap, so he’s a guy the Pistons could target as an unrestricted free agent.Â
Keon Ellis needs a regular role and he could blow up
One thing head coach JB Bickerstaff has been excellent at in the last two seasons is finding the perfect job for each of his role players, and he’s also been very good at getting the player to buy into that role.Â
We saw guys like Daniss Jenkins and Javonte Green thrive in more defined and secure roles, and the same could happen for Ellis in Detroit, who arguably has more talent than either of them.Â
Ellis is an excellent on the ball defender on the perimeter, so he’d fit right into what the Pistons are building, but he’s also a good 3-point shooter who has hit nearly 41 percent for his career.Â
The efficiency has always been there for Ellis, but the reps haven’t, so getting him a regular job where he can get up a certain number of shots each night may be the thing that sets him free.Â
In his most consistent role to date, which was the 2024-25 season in which he played 80 games and a career-high 24 minutes per game, Ellis hit 43 percent of his four 3-point attempts per game, which are numbers that would look mighty good coming off the Pistons’ bench.Â
Ellis won’t help the Pistons need for a ballhandler, and he can sometimes be tentative to attack off the bounce, but he’s a true 3-and-D wing who can guard just about anyone on the perimeter, plays with an edge, and most importantly, can knock down a 3-point shot.Â
He was benched in the playoffs, which may be a warning sign, but Cleveland was loaded at his position, with six other guys they could turn to, all of whom were on the team before Ellis.Â
I’ve always liked Ellis for the Pistons and feel like he’s a guy who could pop in the right scenario, so he’d be a great cheap option when Detroit is trying to fill out their bench and could be a guy who drastically outplays his next contract if he lands on the right team.Â
Add us as a preferred source on Google