Miami Heat shooting guard Wayne Ellington could very likely be moved ahead of the trade deadline, and according to a report by Bill Oram of The Athletic, the Los Angeles Lakers could be a possible destination.
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“A team source said the Lakers will pursue any 3-point shooter on an expiring deal, a group expected to include former Laker Wayne Ellington, Orlando’s Terrence Ross, Memphis’ Garrett Temple and Trevor Ariza, who many believe could be on the move again before the deadline if Washington continues to falter in the East,” Oram wrote.
The Lakers have had a fairly solid season so far and currently sit just outside the Western Conference playoff standings with a record of 25-24 despite the fact that LeBron James has been out with a groin injury since Christmas Day.
What they have clearly lacked all season, however, is a spot-up shooter that can hit from beyond the arc at a consistent click. Ellington could be the perfect player to fill that void. While he has seen his usage plummet this season with Miami, the 6-foot-5 shooting guard has been an above average shooter throughout his career.
Last season, he shot 39.2 percent from beyond the arc in 579 attempts. That kind of percentage on the Lakers would make him the second best three-point shooter on the team from a percentage standpoint behind only Rajon Rondo who has a sample size of just 33 long-range attempts on the season.
While the Lakers have made it clear that they would be willing to part ways with members of their young core, including Kyle Kuzma, Brandon Ingram, and Lonzo Ball, for an established star, it is harder to know what they would offer in return for a role player like Ellington.
With the trade deadline just a couple of weeks away, the Heat might find out what kind of deal they would get in return for Ellington very soon.
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