Los Angeles Lakers: Ranking the free-agent signings by potential workload

By Jason Reed | Aug 10, 2021

CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - MAY 07: Malik Monk #1 of the Charlotte Hornets shoots the ball against the Orlando Magic in the second quarter during their game at Spectrum Center on May 07, 2021 in Charlotte, North Carolina. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images) /

2 of 7

(Photo by Nic Antaya/Getty Images) – Los Angeles Lakers /

6. Wayne Ellington

If Kent Bazemore is going to get around 15 minutes per game then I see Wayne Ellington getting around 18 minutes per game. The great part of the Lakers is how deep they are and most of the role players are going to be really close together in playing time, so it is not like Ellington is getting far less playing time than those ahead of him.

However, he does rank sixth among the new signings simply because of what he offers. Ellington is a fantastic three-point shooter who was one of the best shooters in the league last season. I do not project him to regress in a similar way to Bazemore.

That is great for the Lakers as they really needed three-point shooting. The problem with Ellington is that he is not a good defensive player, which is going to limit his playing time in crunch-time situations.

I would not be shocked if Ellington actually gets the starting nod but gets fewer minutes than some of his counterparts. His shooting is going to be very useful and there are going to be nights where he gets hot and stays on the floor.

There are also going to be nights where he cannot hit his shots and plays his way off the court.

While his one dimension is very helpful for the Los Angeles Lakers, the fact that he is rather one-dimensional is going to limit his playing time over the course of an entire season.

Home/Lakers Free Agency