Wayne Ellington – not good enough for the Knicks, not good for the Kings.
Perfect for the Lakers.
Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News:
Wayne Ellington's contract is partially guaranteed. Lakers will likely have 19 or 20 players for training camp roster
— Mark Medina (@MarkG_Medina) September 22, 2014
The Lakers had only a minimum salary – $1,063,384 – available to play Ellington, who began this offseason with the Mavericks before they traded him to New York. The Knicks dumped him on Sacramento, and the Kings stretched him.
In Los Angeles, Ellington becomes the Lakers’ 14th player under contract, and the other 13 all have guaranteed deals. Other additions could change the equation, but right now, Ellington appears likely to make the roster.
He’s a good 3-point shooter, making 42 percent of his shots from beyond the arc last season and 39 percent for his career. At 26, he has yet to show enough complementary skills, though.
Ellington’s best stretch came two seasons ago, when he spent half the year in Cleveland playing for Byron Scott, who now coaches the Lakers. It’s easy to joke the Lakers are just taking scraps from the Knicks and Kings – teams that missed the playoffs last year and are unlikely to return this season – but this is a pretty good fit on a minimum contract.
Kobe Bryant is obviously the Lakers’ starting shooting guard, and Nick Young and Xavier Henry can play behind him. At minimum, Ellington provides solid depth. At best, he builds off his success under Scott and forces his way into the rotation.
