The Los Angeles Lakers have signed Wayne Ellington to a free agent contract to load up their training camp roster and the team is heading into the season with eyes towards the future, as names like Eric Bledsoe, Rajon Rondo, Greg Monroe, LaMarcus Aldridge, Marc Gasol and Robin Lopez all could potentially be on the market as free agency targets in 2015.
Kobe Bryant is coming back after dealing with an injury last year and the Lakers are hoping that he can stay healthy this year along with point guard Steve Nash. According to Pro Basketball Talk, the Lakers signed Wayne Ellington after his release from the Kings and he now is the 14th player under contract for the team heading into training camp. Ellington is on a minimum salary and PBT reports that he likely will make the roster due to his solid three point shooting. The website also reported earlier this offseason that the Lakers could target Rondo, Bledsoe or Greg Monroe if they make it to the market in 2015.
Ellington was traded to the Kings from the Knicks and he was later released and he could be a solid bench and backup option for Nick Young and Xavier Henry. Ellington is young at 26 years old and he hit over 40 percent from three point range last season and is a 39 percent shooter for his career. The website writes that Ellington played his best for Byron Scott when he was in Cleveland and now he has the chance to make an impact with the Lakers. Ellington can be a solid backup option off the bench and he joins a solid group of players that the team has put together.
The Lakers were terrible last year under Mike D'Antoni and now they have the chance to bounce back under Byron Scott. The team has added a number of free agents and signed back their own players, including Young, Johnson and Henry along with Ryan Kelly and Jordan Hill. The team also brought in Carlos Boozer on a free agent deal and traded for Jeremy Lin and that should give them a much better overall roster than last season. The team had Kobe Bryant and Steve Nash on the sidelines for basically the entire season and if they can stay healthy, the Lakers can at least challenge for a playoff spot.
The Lakers have 14 players under contract and they will have some decisions to make after training camp, but for now they are happy with the bench and depth that they have. Ellington is not a star, but he can be a strong contributor off the bench and one benefit for the Lakers is that they have a deep roster, so that means their second unit will not be filled with scrubs. Teams were able to beat up on the Lakers last season, but with Scott in the fold the team should have a tougher identity and should be able to compete for a playoff spot in the bottom of the west.
Bryant coming back healthy will be key and if he can stay on the court along with Steve Nash, the Lakers should easily win more games than last season. The Lakers probably should have hired Phil Jackson two years ago, but now they have Scott and he is looking to put the purple and gold back on the right track.
