USC Star Boogie Ellis Stands Out for Kings in Summer League

The former USC Trojans star guard shined in limited minutes with the Sacramento Kings in Las Vegas.

Mar 13, 2024; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Southern California Trojans guard Boogie Ellis (5) reacts after a three-point basket against the Washington Huskies at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The Sacramento Kings’ time at the Las Vegas Summer League is over. Despite boasting a roster packed with talent, the Kings had a disappointing Summer League, finishing 2-3. Despite the team’s overall poor performance, several players stood out, no one more so than Boogie Ellis. 

Boogie Ellis may not have been well known to Kings fans before the Summer League, but he is now. The 6-foot-2 guard out of USC stole the show at times, displaying his ability as a sharpshooter and tenacious on-ball defense, despite playing limited minutes off the bench. 

In five games in Las Vegas, Ellis averaged 11.2 points, 1.8 rebounds, and 1.4 assists while shooting 51.3 percent from the field and a blistering 54.5% from three on 4.4 three-point attempts per game, all in only 17.3 minutes per game off the bench. His 54.5 percent from three was fifth best of all players in the Summer League with a minimum of four attempts per game. 

"[Coach] wants a dog, he got a dog."   
  
Boogie Ellis showing out today 💪 pic.twitter.com/jESJkRHpu1

— Sacramento Kings (@SacramentoKings) July 18, 2024

Boogie Ellis also shined on the defensive end, utilizing his quick hands and 6-foot-7 wingspan to provide excellent on-ball defense to a team that defensive specialist Doug Christie coached. Ellis was crucial in forcing turnovers and provided an impressive 1.2 steals per game. 

While he certainly improved his chances of making an NBA roster this season, it may still be a long shot. Despite an excellent senior season at USC in which he averaged 16.5 points and 3 assists on shooting splits of 42.7/41.8/72.0, Ellis went undrafted in last month’s draft. The Kings are already loaded on guards, meaning he likely won’t find a spot on the Kings’ roster. 

It will be interesting to see if the hard-working Ellis finds a way onto an NBA roster this season, as he has proven he can provide a spark off the bench on both ends of the court.

---

Follow Inside The Kings on Facebook and Twitter.

Subscribe on YouTube for breaking Kings news videos and live-stream podcasts!