The Los Angeles Lakers officially signed sharpshooter Wayne Ellington and although the terms were not released, it is reported to be a one-year contract. Ellington was one of the first players the Lakers reportedly agreed to terms with when free agency opened up, and now the 33-year old veteran enters his second stint with L.A.
Ellington spent the 2014-15 season with the Lakers, playing in 65 games and averaging 10.0 points on 37.0% from 3-point range. While he was in his prime back then, he is arguably just as effective now, coming off of his best season from beyond the arc.
It was clear heading into free agency that a player like Ellington was a priority. Shooting was one of the clear needs from 2020-21, and perhaps no one shot the ball better that season than Ellington. In 46 games for the Detroit Pistons, he averaged 9.6 points per game on 42.2% from 3-point range.
Ellington joins a crowded guard rotation for the Lakers, so it’s unclear exactly how many minutes he’ll play or what type of lineups he will be a part of. However, his job with the team is very simple: provide spacing for LeBron James, Russell Westbrook and Anthony Davis and shoot the ball.
With players like Talen Horton-Tucker, Malik Monk and Kent Bazemore also occupying the shooting guard position, it will definitely take some time to figure out exactly how minutes will be distributed. However, the better he does those things and plays his role, the more minutes he’ll get.
Dwight Howard signs with Lakers
Another former Laker returning to the team in 2021 for a reunion is Dwight Howard. The former All-Star center has been with the Lakers for two seasons on two separate occasions, but will now enter his third stint. Like Ellington, Howard quickly came to an agreement with L.A. after free agency opened.
Now, the Lakers can turn their attention to inking contracts with other former Lakers like Bazemore and Trevor Ariza, who also agreed to terms with L.A. the first day of free agency.
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