'Sacramento Trojans': Three Kings players once featured for USC

DeRozan is a 35-year-old veteran preparing to embark on his 16th season in the NBA. The 6-foot-6 small forward is a six-time All-Star. He played one year at USC (2008-09), earning Pac-10 Tournament MVP honors after leading the Trojans to the conference tournament title. The Kings acquired DeRozan in July by way of a trade with the Chicago Bulls.

McLaughlin played for the Trojans from 2014 to 2018 and was named first-team All-Pac-12 in 2018. After playing five seasons with the Minnesota Timberwolves, he signed with the Kings this summer. In his NBA career, he has started several games but primarily played the role of backup point guard, averaging 15 minutes of playing time per game.

Ellis is a 6-foot-1 guard who played three seasons with the Trojans, earning first-team All-Pac-12 honors in 2023. On Sept. 16, he signed with the Kings in a deal, the terms of which were undisclosed. The deal is likely an Exhibit 10 contract, i.e., a minimum-salary one-year deal that is not guaranteed.

NBA teams are allowed to carry 15 players on their regular-season rosters. However, they can have 21 players on their offseason roster. Per Yahoo Sports, Ellis is likely to spend most, if not all, of the upcoming season in the G League.