The Detroit Pistons will probably be active at the trade deadline and Wayne Ellington is one of the players who could be on the move.
Ellington started the season red-hot from behind the 3-point line only to fall back to Earth recently but is still shooting over 41 percent on six attempts per game, numbers that put him in elite company, as there are only four players in the entire league who shoot at least six per game and have a better percentage.
Ellington is also making only $3 million this season, so his contract would be easy to move.
We identified five teams who might want to trade for Wayne Ellington based on a few criteria.
We looked for teams that are contenders but lack 3-point shooting, so all of them were teams that have playoff or title aspirations but find themselves middle-of-the-pack or lower in team 3-point percentage.
Detroit Pistons: The Lakers and Mavericks could be interested in Wayne Ellington
Both the Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks fall into the category of teams that are contending but may want to add depth and 3-point shooting.
The Pistons were never likely to get a huge return for Wayne Ellington but it’s fair to question whether they should have moved him when he was leading the league in 3-point shooting and might have looked even more appealing to a contender.
It’s also fair to wonder what, if anything, these teams would be willing to give up for a half season of a guy who is 33-years-old, even if he has an important skill.
Let’s start with the Lakers, who are going to have a hard time trading for anyone given their cap situation and lack of draft picks.
Detroit Pistons: Possible trade of Wayne Ellington to the Lakers
Trading with the Los Angeles Lakers will not be easy, as they don’t have many future draft picks or young project players, which is almost certainly what the Detroit Pistons would want in return for Wayne Ellington.
The Pistons could try to get Kostas Antetokounmpo, but this might require the Lakers to go deeper into the luxury tax, which they probably aren’t willing to do for Ellington. Would the Lakers be wiling to give up a young player in return for a veteran shooter?
It’s worth a shot.
In this trade, the Pistons get 2nd-round pick Talen Horton-Tucker, who has been a pleasant surprise off the Lakers’ bench this season.
It’s always tough to say what players are when they are playing with LeBron James, as he makes everyone better, but Horton-Tucker is only 20-years-old, so would be worth a flyer for the Detroit Pistons.
Would the Lakers be willing to part with him for a half season of Wayne Ellington’s shooting? The Lakers are currently 25th overall in 3-point shooting and Ellington is the type of guy who usually thrives around LeBron, so it might be worth the gamble for a team that is trying to win now.
Detroit Pistons: Possible trade of Wayne Ellington to the Dallas Mavericks
The Mavericks are surging after a terrible start and will probably end up back in the playoff picture sooner rather than later.
They too need some 3-point shooting around superstar Luka Doncic, as they are just 22nd overall from behind the arc and would love to open up some space for their young point guard to go to work in the lane where he is most effective.
The Mavericks are unlikely to move off any of their promising young players or recent draft picks, so the Pistons could target a project player and a second-round pick from the Mavs.
Iwundu is a former 2nd-round pick who doesn’t play much and since he has an extra year on his minimum deal, the Mavericks would have to kick in a second-round pick to make it worth the Pistons’ time.
Iwundu is a 6-foot-6 wing, so might be worth flyer for the Pistons, who would also like to hoard as many draft picks as possible as they try to rebuild.
Neither of these trades are blockbusters but give you some idea of what the Detroit Pistons might get if they trade Wayne Ellington by himself and not as part of a package.
As the deadline approaches, the Pistons are going to get calls about Wayne Ellington and need to sniff out the best deals vis-a-vis project players and picks.