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NBA Trade Rumors: Five Teams That Should Trade For Monta Ellis

By Maxwell Ogden

Dec 4, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Indiana Pacers guard Monta Ellis (11) gets by Los Angeles Clippers center DeAndre Jordan (6) for a basket in the second half of the game at Staples Center. Pacers won 111-102. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 4, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Indiana Pacers guard Monta Ellis (11) gets by Los Angeles Clippers center DeAndre Jordan (6) for a basket in the second half of the game at Staples Center. Pacers won 111-102. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Indiana Pacers are reportedly willing to trade shooting guard Monta Ellis. Which team should take advantage of the opportunity to acquire his services?

Dec 4, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Indiana Pacers guard Monta Ellis (11) gets by Los Angeles Clippers center DeAndre Jordan (6) for a basket in the second half of the game at Staples Center. Pacers won 111-102. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 4, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Indiana Pacers guard Monta Ellis (11) gets by Los Angeles Clippers center DeAndre Jordan (6) for a basket in the second half of the game at Staples Center. Pacers won 111-102. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports /

For an extended period of time, Monta Ellis was one of the most productive playmakers in the NBA. Between his stints with the Dallas Mavericks and Golden State Warriors, Ellis flirted with All-Star status on more than one occasion.

Just 21 games into his second lackluster season with the Indiana Pacers, however, the 31-year-old shooting guard appears to be in line for a severely needed change of scenery.

Ellis hasn’t been himself during his two seasons with the Pacers. He averaged 13.8 points and 4.7 assists in 2015-16 and is posting 10.4 points and 3.9 assists in 2016-17—a far cry from the 18.9 points per game he posted in a recent 2014-15 campaign on a postseason team.

During a recent Q & A, Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders revealed that the Pacers are open to trading Ellis in 2016-17.

"I know they’d be open to moving Monta Ellis, but I am not sure what he returns. Maybe Orlando? I think they need a flat out scorer and there is some history with Vogel, but at this point, nothing is there."

That makes quite a bit of sense for both Ellis and the Pacers.

Ellis has two guaranteed seasons and a player option worth $11.7 million remaining on his contract. That alone makes it difficult to believe too many teams would jump the gun on a trade for Ellis with so much time remaining on his deal.

Following a summer where a vast number of teams handed out bigger contracts to worse players, however, Ellis could be a valued commodity.

Ellis is who he is: a slashing scorer who’s creative around the rim, proficient from midrange, and versatile enough to facilitate. He’s also a volume shooter who’s inconsistent on defense and ineffective without the ball in his hands.

The question is: which team would be the perfect fit for Ellis to rediscover something close to his recent star-caliber form?

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