The Brooklyn Nets have continued to use their cap flexibility this offseason, agreeing to a two-year, $18 million guaranteed contract with free agent guard Keon Ellis, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.
The deal includes a full mutual option for the second season, allowing both Ellis and the Nets to revisit the partnership next summer while guaranteeing the full $18 million if either side elects to continue the agreement.
Ellis arrives in Brooklyn after splitting the 2025-26 season between the Sacramento Kings and Cleveland Cavaliers. Across 72 games, including 11 starts, the 26-year-old averaged 6.7 points, 2.1 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.2 steals and 0.6 blocks in 20.5 minutes while shooting 44.0% from the field and 36.3% from three-point range.
His production improved following his move to Cleveland. In 29 games with the Cavaliers, Ellis posted 8.3 points, 2.8 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.3 steals and 0.8 blocks in 24.8 minutes per contest while converting 49.1% of his field-goal attempts. He averaged just 5.6 points in 17.6 minutes over 43 games with Sacramento before the trade.
Ellis established himself as one of the league’s more reliable perimeter defenders during his four NBA seasons. He owns career averages of 6.6 points, 2.1 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.2 steals while shooting an efficient 46.5% from the field, 40.7% from beyond the arc and posting a 60.5% effective field-goal percentage across 225 career appearances.
The signing gives Brooklyn another proven two-way wing as the franchise reshapes its roster following a 20-62 campaign that finished 13th in the Eastern Conference.
The Nets have already made several significant moves this offseason, acquiring three-time All-Star Julius Randle and the No. 28 overall pick, Joshua Jefferson, in a three-team trade with the Minnesota Timberwolves and Chicago Bulls. Brooklyn also selected Louisville guard Mikel Brown Jr. with the sixth overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.
