Undrafted USC guard Boogie Ellis takes big step toward NBA dream with Kings deal

At this point in the NBA offseason, most of the free agency signings are end-of-the-bench roster fillers and/or two-way signings. There will also be a few training camp invites. The Sacramento Kings are looking to fill out their roster to be ready for camp in a few months and they recently signed former USC guard Boogie Ellis according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.

According to Charania, Boogie Ellis will come to camp and compete for a spot on the Kings’ roster. Ellis hit NBA free agency after going undrafted in the 2024 NBA Draft. The Kings know him from playing for them during the NBA Summer League.

Ellis played in eight games for the Kings during the summer league season, split between the California Classic and Las Vegas. He averaged 10.0 points, 2.4 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.3 steals on a split of 46.8 percent shooting from the field, 47.1 percent shooting from three-point range and 75 percent shooting from the free throw line.

Ellis finished his college career at USC last season as a teammate of Bronny James. Out of high school, Ellis was a top recruit and originally committed to Duke. He eventually withdrew his commitment and opted to transfer to Memphis. Ellis played two seasons at Memphis before entering the transfer portal.

He played his last three seasons of college basketball at USC. He was able to play a fifth season thanks to his extra COVID year of eligibility. Ellis was considered an NBA prospect after the 2022-23 season, but opted to return for another year.

Kings look to revitalize team with offseason moves

During the 2022-23 season, the Kings surprised everyone and finished with a top three seed in the Western Conference. They were eventually eliminated by the Golden State Warriors in the first round of the playoffs in seven games. It seemed like the Kings were on the verge of building something great.

But last season was a bit of a disappointment for the Kings. They finished as the 9th seed in the West and after defeating the Warriors in their opening play-in game, they failed to qualify for the playoffs as they were eliminated by the Pelicans in their second play-in game.

But the Kings are looking to bounce back after pulling off one of the biggest offseason moves with the signing and trade of DeMar DeRozan. DeRozan gives the Kings a significant upgrade over Harrison Barnes, who was the regular starting small forward and was sent to the San Antonio Spurs as part of the deal.

DeRozan is a six-time All-Star and will give the Kings a legitimate third scoring option alongside De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis. The Kings also managed to re-sign Sixth Man of the Year candidate Malik Monk in NBA free agency.