The Sacramento Kings have officially signed guard Boogie Ellis. In an official press release, the team announced that the details have not been disclosed yet.
Kings Sign Boogie Ellis 📝⏩ https://t.co/D2GvrVAwQw pic.twitter.com/fJwXcUmF0y
— Sacramento Kings (@SacramentoKings) September 16, 2024
Ellis initially joined the Kings’ Summer League roster as an undrafted free agent this year. In eight total games, the guard averaged 10 points, 2.38 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 1.25 steals. Furthermore, he shot 46.8% from the field and 47.1% from the three-point line.
The 23-year-old officially joining the Kings roster is a bit of a homecoming. Ellis was born in San Diego, California, and went to college at USC from 2021-2024.
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Boogie Ellis Appears to Be a Favorite in Sacramento
During his run in the Summer League, Ellis left a good impression on his teammates and coaches. After a Summer League game in which Ellis scored 17 points against the San Antonio Spurs, Doug Christie, who coached the team, spoke highly about the California native, calling him “fearless.”
“I thought that the energy changed when he came in the game [Sunday],” Christie said. “It wasn’t like the energy was bad, it just wasn’t Boogie energy. When he comes in the game, everything changes. His ability to pick up and keep his guy in front of him, he’s fearless crashing the boards. I love the fact that he’s not afraid to shoot the basketball. It’s not pump-fake, he’s already thinking shot.”
Furthermore, he called Ellis a “good teammate” and praised the energy he brings to the game.
“Just a good teammate. He brought the energy tonight and we really needed it.”
Additionally, Colby Jones, who the Kings acquired during the 2023 NBA Draft, said he was “not surprised” following Ellis’ solid performance.
“The way he’s playing, I’m not surprised,” Jones said. “Really happy to see him out there being confident, hitting his stride for sure. He’s helped us out a lot.”
A Recap of the Kings’ Offseason Following Boogie Ellis Signing
Last season, the Kings finished with a 46-36 record. Despite this being just a two-game dropoff from the 2023-24 season, the Kings finished as the No. 9 seed and missed the playoffs. This summer, however, the Kings made a lot of moves that should move them right back into playoff contention.
Most notably, the Kings acquired DeMar DeRozan via a sign-and-trade from the Chicago Bulls. Additionally, they acquired Jalen McDaniels, Jordan McLaughlin, and Orlando Robinson. Furthermore, they drafted Devin Carter with the 13th overall pick. The Kings also re-signed Malik Monk this offseason after his Sixth Man of the Year campaign last season.
On the flip side, the Kings lost some notable players as well. The team sent Harrison Barnes to the Spurs as part of the DeRozan sign-and-trade. They also traded Davion Mitchell and Sasha Vezenkov to the Toronto Raptors.
The Kings are in win-now mode, and their offseason moves prove this. With De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis leading the way, the Kings will be a team to monitor for the foreseeable future. And now with DeRozan on the team, the Kings should be a little bit closer to legitimate Finals contention.
