Throughout an awful year for the Los Angeles Lakers, one of the more consistent players was veteran guard Wayne Ellington. Originally signed as a training camp invite, Ellington showed his worth throughout the season as a solid reliable guard capable of stepping into the starting lineup when necessary.
— Have you seen the ‘Bleed Purple and Gold’ phone case? —
The Lakers are focused on the big names in free agency at this time, but have taken time to reach out to some of their own as well. According to Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News, the Lakers expressed interest in retaining Ellington:
The Lakers contacted Ellington shortly after free agency began on Tuesday evening to express interest in retaining him, according to a league source familiar with the situation. Cleveland, Golden State, Washington, San Antonio and Atlanta also showed interest, a league source said, though Ellington hopes his future rests with the purple and gold.
No one on the Lakers roster saw their minutes fluctuate more than Ellington who would go from starting one game to not touching the court in the next. Regardless of his minutes, Ellington remained a professional and produced whenever he got his chance.
Ellington also dealt with the tragic murder of his father and the support the Lakers showed him throughout the ordeal was tremendous. The Lakers obviously would like to retain him, but with other teams in pursuit the Lakers may find it difficult to do so.
Last season, Ellington averaged 10 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 1.6 assists while shooting 37 percent from three-point range.
[divide]
