CHICAGO — Former Memphis Grizzlies player Mike Miller made a splash earlier this summer when Grizzlies superstar point guard Ja Morant cut ties with his former agent and signed with Miller’s agency, LIFT.

Morant, who instantly becomes one of Miller’s most high-profile clients, said it was simply time to move on to something new.

But for Miller, still relatively early in the game as an agent, it was a coup. He is still building up his base of talent.

One player entering the 2024 NBA Draft that signed with LIFT is Boogie Ellis. Memphians may remember him as a former Tigers point guard who left for USC. Miller once recruited Ellis to the U of M when he was an assistant coach under Penny Hardaway back in 2019.

“I’ve been with Mike since I was in high school,” Ellis said Tuesday. “He was the reason I went to Memphis. Just having that great relationship with him, he is someone that looked out for me for a long time. We just had that great relationship, so I trusted him.”

It pays to know people.

While Morant has not yet spoken on his decision to change agents, his family also has a close relationship with Miller dating back several years.

Those long-term bonds helped separate Miller from other agents, according to Ellis.

“He’s more genuine, for sure,” Ellis said of Miller. “I would say that I look at him like an uncle. For me, in my situation, and I know there are others, he’s just more genuine.”

Even when he was playing at USC, Ellis returned to Memphis during the summers to train with Miller in the offseason. He credited Miller for having great drills for movement shooting, which he believes rapidly improved his game since Tigers fans last watched him play.

Ellis’ one season with the Tigers ended without the team making the NCAA Tournament, and the distance from his hometown of San Diego made the experience extremely challenging mentally.

“I got better every single year throughout my college career and that’s the reason why I’m here,” Ellis said. “Things weren’t easy for me. The adversity I went through at Memphis prepared me for who I am today. I wouldn’t change it and I wouldn’t make anything different.”

Ellis was invited to the NBA G League elite camp in Chicago last week, a two-day event to showcase skills in front of NBA and G League scouts and front office members. His strong showing there earned him a call-up to the NBA Combine the following week.

In addition to Ellis, Wake Forest’s Hunter Sallis, Minnesota’s Cam Christie and St. John’s Daniss Jenkins have also signed with LIFT and are completing pre-draft workouts together in New York City.

It is common for agencies to have players work out together in the same place during the offseason, including NBA stars. Perhaps that could mean linking up with Morant during the offseason for some of the league’s new hopefuls.

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