5. Monta Ellis (Shooting Guard)
The 29-year-old shooting guard was drafted by the Golden State Warriors out of high school in 2005, and he has had his share of detractors throughout the years. But his play the last two seasons in Dallas has quieted many of his critics.
At 6’3″ and 185 pounds, Ellis is an agile scorer with playmaking abilities, as his 19.3 points and 4.8 assist career averages attest to.
He does tend to turn the ball over, though, for a player who handles the leather as much as he does, and his three-point shooting (.314 career from beyond the arc) leaves much to be desired. But that’s OK, since he doesn’t shoot that many anyway, preferring jump shots and drives to the basket to put points on the board instead.
Defensively, Ellis is strong and capable when he’s locked in.
He has a player option (which he will probably exercise) for next season at about $9 million, and he’ll be looking to cash in next summer.
If Coach Erik Spoelstra can somehow persuade Wade to accept a reserve role after next season, Ellis would be a good fit at the shooting/combo guard position for the Heat. Ellis is younger than Wade and has been more durable the last three years, playing in at least 80 games per season since 2012.
Ellis has developed into a solid team player who can score without dominating the ball, and the Heat could bring him in to lighten the load for Wade down the road.
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