By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
After the debut season in the NBA, Neemias Queta signed a new two-way contract to extend his stay at the Sacramento Kings, the team announced Saturday and noted undrafted guard Keon Ellis covering the other two-way slot.
Queta, 22, coming out of Utah State was selected with the 39th overall pick of the 2021 NBA draft by the Kings. Besides the historic achievement of becoming the first-ever Portugal player in the NBA, he spent chunks of the 2021-22 season at the G League affiliate Stockton Kings.
Per the press release: “The Sacramento Kings have signed center Neemias Queta and rookie guard Keon Ellis to two-way contracts, according to General Manager Monte McNair. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.
During his rookie season, Queta appeared in 14 games with Sacramento as a Two-Way player, averaging 3.2 points (.447 FG%, .647 FT%), 2.2 rebounds, 0.4 assists, 0.1 steals and 8.6 minutes per game.
Undrafted out of the University of Alabama, Ellis appeared in 33 games (all starts), averaging 12.1 points (.439 FG%, .366 3pt%, .881 FT%), 6.1 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.9 steals and 30.9 minutes per game during his senior season (2021-22).
The 6-6, 175-pound guard earned All-SEC Defensive Team accolades (2021-22), led the SEC, and ranked 24th nationally in free throw percentage (.881) in 2021-22, finished fifth in the SEC in steals (1.94), eighth in three-pointers made per game (2.03) and 14th in rebounding (6.1) in 2021-22. Prior to Alabama, Ellis played two seasons at Florida Southwestern State College (2018-20) and was named to the National Junior College Athletic Association All-American Second Team in 2019-20.”
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