Boogie Ellis Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Kings Officially Sign Rookie Guard Boogie Ellis

September 16th, 2024 at 4:55pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Kings have officially signed Boogie Ellis, according to a press release from the team.

Sacramento’s intention to sign the former USC guard was first reported in late July. Terms of the contract have not been reported or announced, but it’s most likely an Exhibit 10 deal.

Ellis played for Sacramento’s Summer League team after going undrafted. He averaged 11.2 PPG in five games in July while shooting 51.3% from the field and 54.5% from 3-point range.

Ellis began his college career at Memphis in 2019 before transferring to USC two years later. He earned second-team All-Pac 12 honors last season while averaging 16.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists in 29 games with the Trojans. In his three seasons at USC, Ellis averaged 15.4 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.2 steals in 95 career games.

An Exhibit 10 contract would allow Ellis to receive a bonus worth up to $77.5K (on top of his standard G League salary) if he’s waived by Sacramento and then spends at least 60 days with the Stockton Kings. He would also be eligible to have the contract converted into a two-way deal before the season, but the Kings don’t currently have an open two-way slot.

Boogie Ellis To Sign With Kings

July 27th, 2024 at 5:54pm CST by Arthur Hill

Boogie Ellis has reached a contract agreement with the Kings and will compete for a roster spot in training camp, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

The 23-year-old guard played for Sacramento’s Summer League team after going undrafted out of USC last month. He averaged 11.2 PPG in five games while shooting 51.3% from the field and 54.5% from three-point range.

Ellis began his college career at Memphis in 2019 before transferring to USC two years later. He earned second-team All-Pac 12 honors last season while averaging 16.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists in 29 games with the Trojans.

The Kings currently have 13 players with standard contracts, and that number will grow with the expected signing of Orlando Robinson. Sacramento’s three two-way slots are filled by Mason Jones, Isaiah Crawford and Isaac Jones.

Pacific Notes: Lue, George, Leonard, Podziemski, Kerr, Ellis

July 9th, 2024 at 10:40pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Clippers coach Tyronn Lue had multiple conversations with Paul George with the hope that the nine-time All-Star would stay in Los Angeles. Lue, an assistant coach for Team USA, expressed frustration that George chose to leave for Philadelphia as a free agent, Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN writes.

“You lose an important piece to the team like PG, it’s hard to replace,” Lue said. “I’m disappointed that we weren’t able to get the deal done, disappointed he didn’t come back. It’s tough for the organization. We got to see how we move forward from here. I talked to him many times, trying to see what his mindset was, what we need to do different, how we can help his process along. It’s unfortunate that he left.”

Kawhi Leonard was well aware of how the extension talks between George and the front office broke down, so he wasn’t caught off guard by his star teammate’s exit.

“We knew what it was before the season,” Leonard said. “We knew what it was going to come down to. So, we talked the whole way through. It’s no surprise.”

We have more from the Pacific Division:

Heading into his second season with the Warriors, Brandin Podziemski told Mark Medina of Sportskeeda that he has lofty goals. “Individually, I want to be able to be in the conversation and win Most Improved Player of the Year,” he said. “I want to partake in the Rising Stars game again because it’s in San Francisco next season. I want to participate in the Skills Challenge. That would be fun. Then I want to put my name up there as an up-and-coming star of the league. I’m ready to make the year two jump. As far as team goals, obviously you want to win a title.”
Coach Steve Kerr is impressed with how Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. recovered from the loss of Klay Thompson by acquiring the services of free agents Buddy Hield, Kyle Anderson and De’Anthony Melton, Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area relays. “To rebound from losing Chris (Paul) and then Klay, and then using the cap to his advantage – he and his group have done a great job,” Kerr said. “We’ve signed three really good players, managed our finances really well and Mike is wonderful at his job in every regard. He’s a great partner, too, through these difficult times. Great guy to be able to lean on.”
Boogie Ellis is playing for the Kings’ Summer League team after going undrafted out of USC. Ellis led the Trojans in scoring and is trying to earn an NBA contract. Meanwhile, Bronny James got drafted by the Lakers despite posting modest stats at USC. However, Ellis has no hard feelings for his former college teammate, he told Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee. “I’m happy for him,” Ellis said. “That’s one of my brothers, so I’m glad he got the opportunity, but at the end of the day this is business. Everybody’s trying to feed their family, so I definitely have a chip on my shoulder. I believe I’m a great basketball player and I’m better than a lot the guys who were picked, but at the end of the day I’ve got to go show my hard work, show what I do. So just continue to work, keep my head down and keep working, and it’s going to pay off.”

Western Notes: Kings Workout, Jazz Workout, Kolek, Suns’ Targets

June 17th, 2024 at 10:15pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Kings hosted a pre-draft workout on Monday that included two of the top center prospects, two-time National Player of the Year Zach Edey (Purdue) and Kel’el Ware (Indiana), Sean Cunningham of FOX 40 Sacramento tweets. Both are projected to be taken in the first round. Jamison Battle (Ohio St.), Boogie Ellis (USC), Rayj Dennis (Baylor) and Jonathan Mogbo (USF) were the other visitors.

We have more from the Western Conference:

The Jazz held a pre-draft workout on Monday that included Melvin Ajinca (France), Ulrich Chomche (Cameroon), Tyler Kolek (Marquette), Ajay Mitchell (UCSB) and Tyler Wahl (Wisconsin), Darren Wolfson tweets. Kolek, a point guard, is considered a first-round pick. All the other prospects except for Wahl are ranked among the Top 50 on ESPN’s Best Available list.
Speaking of Kolek, the Suns are expected to target the Marquette floor leader, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. Phoenix currently owns the No. 22 pick. The Suns are searching for a traditional point guard.
The Suns will only be able to make veteran’s minimum offers to free agents due to their salary cap restraints. Gerald Bourguet of GoPHNX.com looks at 20 free agent wing options, breaking them down by realistic targets and others that may be out of their price range.

Southwest Notes: Doncic, Mavs, Spurs, Rockets, Pelicans

June 14th, 2024 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Luka Doncic has averaged nearly 30 points per night in the first three games of the NBA Finals, but the Mavericks were outscored by 10 points when he was on the floor in Game 1; he committed eight turnovers and missed four free throws in Game 2; and he made just 11-of-27 shots in Game 3 before fouling out of a three-point game with over four minutes still on the clock. He has also been repeatedly targeted on defense over the course of the series.

While head coach Jason Kidd isn’t throwing in the towel on this series with his team facing a 3-0 deficit, he noted on Thursday that no matter what happens the rest of the way, he expects his star player to learn from the challenges he has faced this spring and use those experiences as a springboard to get even better in future seasons.

“The history is there for us to learn from, when you look at great players and the struggles,” Kidd told reporters (story via Dan Devine of Yahoo Sports). “You look at (Michael Jordan) and the struggles that he had against Detroit. You look at some of Magic Johnson’s struggles. You look at LeBron (James‘) first time around (against the Spurs in the 2007 Finals). It’s there to learn from. But the great ones, they use that going into the next season, or the next couple of seasons, to try to get back there. Because now they understand experience is a big thing.”

Here’ more from around the Southwest:

Kidd isn’t planning to make any changes to the Mavericks‘ starting lineup in Game 4, he said on Thursday, as Joe Vardon of The Athletic relays.
Which prospects in this year’s draft would fit best next to Victor Wembanyama for the Spurs? Jonathan Givony of ESPN (Insider link) considers that question, offering up some suggestions for San Antonio at No. 4, No. 8, No. 35, and No. 48. Kentucky guards Reed Sheppard and Rob Dillingham are Givony’s top suggestions for the fourth overall pick, while Nikola Topic and Dalton Knecht lead his list at eighth overall. Terrence Shannon, Adem Bona, Cam Spencer, and Jaylen Wells are among the players Givony likes as second-round targets.
The Spurs appear to be eyeing more experienced backcourt prospects with their second-round picks, according to Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News (subscription required), who takes a closer look at Boogie Ellis‘ recent visit to San Antonio and notes that Houston’s Jamal Shead also recently worked out for the club.
Shead visited Houston on Friday, confirms Kelly Iko of The Athletic, tweeting that Tyler Thomas (Hofstra), Isaiah Stevens (Colorado State), and N’Faly Dante (Oregon) were among the other prospects working out for the Rockets. The club controls the No. 44 overall pick in addition to No. 3.
An evaluation of Smoothie King Center’s infrastructure is nearing completion, according to Christian Clark of NOLA.com, who says the results of that assessment will help determine whether the Pelicans renovate their current arena or need to build a new one.

Central Notes: Bird, Pacers, Pistons, Portis

June 12th, 2024 at 9:42pm CST by Arthur Hill

Six players who participated in a pre-draft workout for the Pacers on Wednesday were surprised when a Hall of Famer showed up to watch them, writes Zion Brown of The Indianapolis Star. Larry Bird, who was hired as a consultant last June, walked into the gym to observe the prospects, who noticed his presence immediately.

“It’s exciting,” Oakland’s Jack Gohlke said. “Obviously (he’s) an NBA legend, and a guy who has been with the Pacers organization for forever and a legend with the Celtics, too. So I think it’s just really cool. … I would say it’s almost easier to play in front of a sold-out arena than to have these guys sitting courtside, but it’s still a really cool experience.”

Bird has worked for the Pacers in several capacities over the years, starting as head coach in 1997. Tyrese Haliburton and Isaiah Jackson also made an appearance on Wednesday, but the focus was on Bird, even though the players at the workout were all born well after his playing career ended.

“Once he walked in I was like, ‘I recognize him,’” UC-Santa Barbara’s Ajay Mitchell said. “It’s amazing to see him here. Working in front of him, it’s a great opportunity and it’s a blessing to have him around.”

Also participating in the workout were Yongxi Cui of China, Thijs de Ridder of Belgium, TCU’s Emanuel Miller and Michigan State’s Tyson Walker. Indiana owns picks 36, 49 and 50 in this month’s draft.

There’s more from the Central Division:

The Pacers have another workout set for Thursday featuring Baylor’s Jalen Bridges, North Carolina State’s D.J. Burns Jr., West Virginia’s Jesse Edwards, Kentucky’s Antonio Reeves and Morehead State’s Kalil Thomas, the team announced (via Twitter). Indiana’s Xavier Johnson was a late replacement for USC’s Boogie Ellis (Twitter link).
New Pistons head of basketball operations Trajan Langdon has a challenge to try to fix an organization that has been sputtering for years, observes Bob Wojnowski of The Detroit News. Wojnowski blames owner Tom Gores, whom he accuses of meddling too often, as well as the people he has entrusted to run the franchise. He criticizes former general manager Troy Weaver for his roster construction, particularly his willingness to take on big men who failed elsewhere, and coach Monty Williams for his insistence on playing Killian Hayes and his misuse of Jaden Ivey early in the season.
Bobby Portis should be thrilled by the return of Darvin Ham to the Bucks‘ coaching staff, notes Christopher Kuhagen of The Journal-Sentinel. Kuhagen recalls that after Milwaukee was eliminated from the playoffs in 2023, Portis sent out a social media message that read, “Only thing hurt us was D ham leaving. That ain’t talked about enough.”

Southwest Notes: Irving, Doncic, Rockets, Spurs, Ellis

June 11th, 2024 at 3:07pm CST by Luke Adams

Luka Doncic blamed himself after the Mavericks lost on Sunday to fall behind 2-0 to the Celtics in the NBA Finals, pointing to his eight turnovers and four missed free throws. However, Doncic had 32 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists in that game, making 12-of-21 shots from the field. His backcourt mate Kyrie Irving scored just 16 points on 7-of-18 shooting and is now 13-of-37 from the floor in the series.

Ahead of Game 3, Irving said he let Doncic know that if anyone needs to step up and give the team more, it’s him, not Luka.

“It started with me just telling my hermano I got to play better for him, alongside him,” Irving said, per Tim MacMahon of ESPN. “In order for us to accomplish our goal, we both have to be playing well and we both have to be doing the little things, doing whatever it takes to win. Easy conversation. But it started with me reaching out, just letting him know it’s my fault, taking accountability for not playing particularly well.”

Irving noted that he has come back from a 2-0 deficit in the Finals before (in 2016 with Cleveland) and hinted that the move to Dallas for Game 3 may help him break out of his slump.

“Being back in Boston, there’s such a level of desire that I have inside of me to play well,” Irving said. “Wanted to be there for my teammates. As a competitor, it’s frustrating. But I don’t want to let that seep in or spill over to any other decisions I have to make there as a player.”

Here’s more from around the Southwest:

Prior to Game 2 of the NBA Finals, Doncic received a pain-killing injection to treat his thoracic contusion, according to Tim MacMahon and Malika Andrews of ESPN. The expectation is that the Mavericks star, who has also been dealing with a right knee sprain and left ankle soreness, will get another injection ahead of Game 3, sources tell ESPN. “I feel good,” Doncic told reporters on Tuesday when asked about his health. “I don’t want to get into any more details. But I feel good.”
In a YouTube video, cap expert Yossi Gozlan examines the Rockets‘ upcoming offseason decisions and their financial situation going forward, considering what they might do with rookie scale extension candidates Alperen Sengun and Jalen Green and outlining some hypothetical trade scenarios.
Former USC point guard Boogie Ellis worked out for the Spurs over the weekend, tweets Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News. Ellis is ranked 83rd overall on ESPN’s list of top-100 prospects, so he could be a target for the Spurs in the second round or as an undrafted free agent.

Draft Notes: Combine, Mocks, Holland, Trade Rumors, Osobor

May 13th, 2024 at 1:03pm CST by Luke Adams

Boogie Ellis (USC), Isaac Jones (Washington State), Jesse Edwards (West Virginia), Nae’Qwan Tomlin (Memphis), and Enrique Freeman (Akron) are among the prospects who stood out at the G League Elite Camp over the weekend and earned invitations to participate in the NBA’s combine this week, according to a series of tweets from Jonathan Givony of ESPN. The G League officially confirmed Givony’s reporting (Twitter link).

The combine got underway in Chicago on Monday, with all participants taking part in shooting drills and undergoing strength, agility, and performance testing.

Language in the NBA’s new Collective Bargaining Agreement requires all prospects to participate in those aspects of the combine, though they’re still permitted to opt out of this week’s scrimmages. Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report (Twitter link) identifies several of the fringe first-rounders who have decided to pass on scrimmaging, including Kyshawn George (Miami), Carlton Carrington (Pittsburgh), Kevin McCullar (Kansas), and Johnny Furphy (Kansas), among many others.

As Chase Hughes of Monumental Sports Network tweets, prospects whose international teams’ seasons haven’t ended are permitted to miss the combine, but those players – including Zaccharie Risacher of JL Bourg and Nikola Topic (Crvena Zvezda) – will be required to complete “pre-draft activities” at a later date.

Here are several more draft-related notes:

Wasserman, Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer, and Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo of ESPN.com updated their 2024 mock drafts following the conclusion of Sunday’s lottery to reflect the new order. All three mocks have the Hawks using the No. 1 overall pick on French big man Alexandre Sarr.
John Hollinger of The Athletic has shared his rankings of the top 20 prospects in the 2024 draft class, with plenty of choices that deviate from the consensus. Hollinger has G League Ignite guard Ron Holland at No. 1, with Sarr at No. 5 and Risacher (ESPN’s top prospect) all the way down at No. 13.
Zach Lowe of ESPN (Insider link) and Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports, two of the media members who were in the draft lottery drawing room on Sunday, share some behind-the-scenes observations from the event and consider what’s next for the teams most impacted by Sunday’s results. Sources tell Lowe that the Rockets (No. 3) and Grizzlies (No. 9) are expected to be among the teams that explore trade possibilities with their picks, though both teams could ultimately end up hanging onto their lottery selections. Meanwhile, Wizards general manager Will Dawkins told Fischer that he thinks “there are multiple All-Stars in this class.” Washington holds the No. 2 pick.
Coming off his junior year at Utah State, forward Great Osobor is testing the NBA draft waters, but it sounds like he’ll end up transferring to a new school for his senior year. According to Givony, Osobor has an NIL deal in place with Washington worth $2MM, which is the most lucrative known deal in college basketball this season.
A series of ESPN’s NBA reporters explore the biggest questions facing every lottery team.

Draft Notes: G League Elite Camp, Carrington, Edwards, George

May 8th, 2024 at 9:08am CST by Luke Adams

The NBA has officially announced the list of invitees for its 2024 G League Elite Camp, which will take place this weekend in Chicago. The 45-player list is made up of some of the top prospects who didn’t earn invites to next week’s draft combine, though the standout performers at the Elite Camp will be invited to stick around for the combine.

There are a few differences between the final list of participants and the initial 44-player list of invitees. After previously reporting that Johnell Davis had turned down his invitation while Jaylen Wells had been upgraded to a combine invite, Jonathan Givony of ESPN tweets that three more players from the original list won’t take part: Spanish big man Eli Ndiaye, former Wisconsin wing AJ Storr, and Arizona guard KJ Lewis.

Ndiaye’s season with Real Madrid is still in progress, which explains his absence. Storr appears to be focused on transferring to Kansas, while Givony speculates that Lewis may also end up withdrawing from the draft to return to Arizona.

With those five players not attending the Elite Camp, the NBA invited six more prospects to round out the 45-player field. Those final six invitees are USC guard Boogie Ellis, Alabama guard Aaron Estrada, Florida guard Zyon Pullin, North Florida guard Chaz Lanier, New Mexico guard Jaelen House, and Cairns Taipans (Australia) guard Taran Armstrong.

Here’s more on the 2024 NBA draft:

In a story for HoopsHype, Michael Scotto looked at several prospects whose stock appears to be on the rise ahead of the combine, starting with Pittsburgh’s Carlton Carrington, who jumped 25 spots to No. 27 in HoopsHype’s latest aggregate mock draft. A number of NBA executives who spoke to Scotto believe Carrington could be selected in the 15-30 range. “I think he can handle the ball and has good size,” one exec said. “I don’t know if he can guard anybody on our level at his position. He didn’t showcase an ability to create shots for himself. He did a good job of passing the ball.”
Kentucky’s Justin Edwards, who entered last season with lottery upside, saw his stock drop over the course of an up-and-down freshman season, but it has bounced back as of late, according to Scotto, who notes that Edwards is now widely viewed as a borderline first-round pick. “Edwards is a little older for a freshman (20) and isn’t the most in-shape guy,” one scout told Scotto. “There’s a Shabazz Muhammad comparison with Edwards that some people may not want to hear. When he’s on, there’s a Rodney Hood comparison to be made. He’s fine. I think you can win basketball games with him as a role player.”
DaRon Holmes II (Dayton), Hunter Sallis (Wake Forest), Tristan Da Silva (Colorado), Trey Alexander (Creighton), and Kyshawn George (Miami) are among several other prospects identified by Scotto as trending up. “I think Kyshawn is pretty good,” a veteran scout told HoopsHype. “He’s young and skilled. He’s big at 6-foot-8, can shoot, and can handle it. He’s going to need some years, but you’d invest in him. I’d pick him higher than a lot of other guys because of his age. He’s impressed me.”

Draft Decisions: B. Ellis, Castaneda, Disu, Reed, More

May 31st, 2022 at 1:34pm CST by Rory Maher

USC guard Boogie Ellis is withdrawing from the 2022 NBA draft and returning to the Trojans next season, tweets Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports. After spending two seasons with Memphis, Ellis transferred to USC for his junior season and improved his numbers across the board, averaging 12.5 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.4 assists on .417/.376/.798 shooting.

With the NCAA’s withdrawal deadline set for Wednesday night, several other early entrants have decided their plans for 2022/23. Here are some more draft decisions:

Akron guard Xavier Castaneda will also withdraw from the draft, a source tells Rothstein (Twitter link). Castaneda spent his first three seasons with South Florida prior to transferring to Akron, and like Ellis, he saw his statistics improve in his new program, averaging 13.6 points, 3.6, rebounds and 2.3 assists on .407/.373/.823 shooting in ’21/22. He’ll use his extra year of eligibility to return to the Zips next season.
Forward Dylan Disu is withdrawing from the draft and returning to Texas for his senior season, Rothstein tweets. Disu was highly productive as a sophomore for Vanderbilt in ’20/21, averaging 15 points, 9.2 rebounds, 1.1 steals and 1.2 blocks on .492/.369/.736 shooting, but underwent season-ending knee surgery prior to transferring to Texas. He never regained his rhythm for the Longhorns, averaging just 3.7 points and 3.2 rebounds in 10.9 minutes.
Eric Reed Jr., who spend his first two seasons with Southeast Missouri State, is withdrawing from the draft and transferring to Mississippi State, reports Jeff Goodman of Stadium (via Twitter). Reed averaged 16.1 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1 steal with a .419/.357/.815 shooting slash line last season.
Guard DeMarr Langford Jr. plans to withdraw from the draft and return to Boston College, per Goodman (Twitter link). Langford averaged 11.3 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.1 steals on .456/.269/.670 shooting for the Eagles as a sophomore this past season.
Daylen Kountz is withdrawing from the draft in order to use his extra year of college eligibility, he told Goodman (Twitter link). The 6’4″ guard averaged 21.2 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.6 assists on an impressive shooting line of .512/.421/.823 for Northern Colorado in ’21/22. He’ll return to the Bears next season.
USC forward Isaiah Mobley will remain in the draft, his father told Rothstein (Twitter link). Mobley averaged 14.3 points, 8.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists as a junior for the Trojans last season. The news was anticipated, as he was expected to keep his name in the draft. He’s the only player ranked on ESPN’s big board among the players listed here, but at No. 98, he’s unlikely to be drafted. Still, there’s a chance he could catch on as an undrafted free agent, perhaps on a two-way deal. Mobley is the older brother of Cavaliers big man Evan Mobley, the No. 3 pick of the 2021 draft.