Keon Ellis

May 4, 2026

Fades out of rotation

Ellis (coach's decision) went unused Sunday in the Cavaliers' 114-102 win over the Raptors in Game 7 of the first-round playoff series.

Analysis

Since being moved to the Cavaliers prior to the trade deadline, Ellis had been a staple in the Cleveland rotation thanks largely to his defensive versatility. Following his trade from Sacramento to Cleveland, Ellis finished the regular season with averages of 8.4 points, 2.8 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.3 three-pointers, 1.3 steals and 0.8 blocks in 25.0 minutes over 28 appearances. However, the fourth-year player ended up seeing his role diminish in the first round of the playoffs, averaging just 10.8 minutes over the first four games of the series before dropping out of the rotation entirely for the last three contests. For one of the few times all season, the Cavaliers have their entire roster healthy, so Ellis looks like he'll remain an odd man out of the rotation during the Eastern Conference Semifinals matchup with the Pistons while head coach Kenny Atkinson leans on a four-man bench.