Brooklyn Nets head coach Jordi Fernandez is already impressed with what Keon Ellis has brought to his first training camp with the team, particularly on the defensive end.
“He’s got the best hands in the NBA, and that’s hard to teach,” Fernandez said at Friday’s practice, according to Yahoo Sports.
Fernandez believes Ellis’ ability to create deflections and make plays with his hands can become an important part of Brooklyn’s defensive identity. At the same time, the Nets coach emphasized that Ellis must combine those instincts with discipline within the team’s defensive system.
“At the same time, you want to be disciplined and follow the schemes, whatever the game plan is,” Fernandez said.
The Nets acquired Ellis from the Cleveland Cavaliers in free agency after he spent the previous three seasons with the Sacramento Kings. Fernandez already has confidence that the 26-year-old can translate his defensive tools into consistent production.
“I trust him,” Fernandez said. “I know he’s very diligent with his work and everything, and I know he can perform at a high level.”
Fernandez expects Ellis to have a significant impact on the Nets’ defense as the team looks to improve following a 20-62 season.
“He’s going to help us a lot at the defensive end,” Fernández said.
Ellis enters Brooklyn after establishing himself as a reliable two-way guard in Sacramento and Cleveland. He averaged a career-high 8.3 points per game for the Kings in 2024-25 while shooting 43.3% from three-point range and averaging 1.5 steals in 80 games.
His 2025-26 season was split between Sacramento and Cleveland. Ellis appeared in 72 games overall, averaging 6.7 points, 1.9 rebounds, 1.0 assist and 1.2 steals in 20.5 minutes per game.
His Cleveland stint showed another side of his offensive game. In 29 games with the Cavaliers, Ellis averaged 8.3 points, 2.8 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.3 steals while shooting 49.1% from the field.
The Nets added Ellis on a two-year, $18 million contract with a mutual option for the second season. His arrival gives Fernandez another perimeter defender to deploy alongside a roster that includes Michael Porter Jr., Julius Randle and first-round pick Mikel Brown Jr.
