The Los Angeles Lakers were very busy this NBA offseason. They had a lot of roster spots to fill as only three players, LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Talen Horton-Tucker will be coming back to the team for the 2021-22 season that was on the roster when the Phoenix Suns eliminated them in the first round of the 2021 postseason.
Los Angeles traded Kyle Kuzma, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Montrezl Harrell and the No. 22 overall pick to the Washington Wizards for Russell Westbrook. Alex Caruso, Ben McLemore, Andre Drummond, Markieff Morris and Dennis Schroder signed elsewhere. Jared Dudley joined the Dallas Mavericks’ coaching staff and Wesley Matthews remains a free agent.
Rob Pelinka got to work in free agency. Kendrick Nunn is the only player to have received more than a veteran’s minimum in free agency. Kent Bazemore, Dwight Howard, Wayne Ellington, Carmelo Anthony, Malik Monk and Trevor Ariza were signed.
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Rajon Rondo and DeAndre Jordan also received minimum deals after being bought out by the Memphis Grizzlies and Brooklyn Nets.
A lot of attention has been given to the free agents that the Lakers landed. There are some high-profile players on that list of additions, but the one that an NBA scout pinpointed as the x-factor for the team when talking to NBA Analysis Network’s Evan Massey is Ellington.
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“I’m not sure why no one is talking about Wayne Ellington among all the moves the Lakers made. He’s going to be the X-Factor for this team this season. His ability to knock down the 3-point shot will make him a lethal threat alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis.”
Last season, the Los Angeles Lakers were one of the worst 3-point shooting teams in the NBA. They were 21st in 3-point percentage, 25th in makes and 24th in attempts. The Washington Wizards were the only playoff team that was worse in any of the categories.
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Ellington has proven to be an excellent source of 3-point shooting in his career. He is a 38.2 percent shooter in his career. In four out of the last five seasons, Ellington has made at least 2.4 3-pointers per game.
Expect another productive season for Ellington shooting the ball if he can get consistent minutes in the rotation. He made 42.2 percent of his 3-pointers last season with the Detroit Pistons. Imagine what he can do with Russell Westbrook, LeBron James and Anthony Davis garnering all the attention from opposing defenses while he is spotting up around the perimeter.
