With NBA free agency in full swing, the Los Angeles Lakers took a patient approach to fill out the rest of the roster.
The Purple and Gold have limited resources to work with following the blockbuster acquisition of Russell Westbrook. As a result, the front office would be looking for players capable of providing plenty of bang for their buck.
The Lakers finally kicked things off by bringing in a familiar face in Trevor Ariza on a one-year deal. It appears they have decided to keep the homecoming going.
According to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports, L.A. has reached a deal to bring back Wayne Ellington:
Free agent guard Wayne Ellington Jr. has reached an agreement with the Los Angeles Lakers on a one-year deal, his agent Mark Bartelstein of @PrioritySports tells @YahooSports.
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) August 2, 2021
Like Ariza, Ellington is all too familiar with the allure of playing for the Lakers following his one-year stint during the 2014-25 season. Although it was a grueling period in the team’s rebuild, he still played a key role as part of the rotation back then.
There has been plenty of speculation regarding the team’s problems with spacing between Westbrook, LeBron James, and Anthony Davis. The 33-year-old fills a major need for the Lakers in the shooting department after hitting 42.2 percent of his three-pointers last season.
Ellington could be once again taken with taking on an immediate role in the lineup with the departure of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. Meanwhile, the uncertain future of Alex Caruso in free agency could leave L.A. without two of their 40 percent shooters from deep.
It is safe to assume that both players will likely be on the veteran’s minimum for next season. Their shooting could potentially result in a huge return for this Lakers’ team looking to get back into title contention with their moves this offseason.
The signing of Ariza and Dwight Howard should help pay some major dividends for the frontcourt. The onus will fall on Ellington to do the same for the backcourt.