1. Wayne Ellington
One of the most popular players that will be on the buyout market this year is Wayne Ellington. Ellington was playing sparingly with the Miami Heat, who traded him, along with Tyler Johnson, to the Phoenix Suns in exchange for Ryan Anderson.
That trade ended up being a good thing for Ellington, as his agent, Mark Bartelstein and the Suns are working on a way to get him waived.
Agent Mark Bartelstein is working with the Suns to waive guard Wayne Ellington and allow him to join a playoff contender, league sources tell ESPN. Ellington is arriving with Tyler Johnson from Miami in the trade for Ryan Anderson.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 6, 2019
Once he is waived, the Lakers are going to have a ton of competition for him. According to Hoops Hype, the Oklahoma City Thunder, Philadelphia 76ers, Boston Celtics and Detroit Pistons are also interested in Ellington, along with the Lakers.
The interest in Ellington is understandable. Ellington is a 38 percent career shooter from the 3-point line, which is the main reason for interest in him. Shooting is his best weapon.
According to Hoops Hype, Ellington ranked in the top-10 of the Eastern Conference last season off jump shots and only three players were more efficient making jump shots off the dribble. He also excels on dribble handoffs.
Bullock is another player that excels in more ways than just spot-up jump shots. Bringing in another versatile scorer in Ellington would bring an added dimension to a Lakers team that can sometimes get stagnant offensively.