The Rockets should consider signing Wayne Ellington

For a team that emphasizes the long-range shot, there is still a prolific 3-point shooter on the market.

The Houston Rockets can always use more shooters. They ended up hoisting up an NBA-record number of 3-pointers last season, as they seem to do most years. They were the first team ever to shoot more 3s than 2s in a season.

That being said, they were only in the middle of the pack as far as 3-point percentage goes. They shot 36.2% as a team and went cold late in the playoffs, to say the least.

Someone who expected to get a raise this summer, Wayne Ellington, is still available in the free agent market. He had a great year for the Heat last year, averaging 11.2 points per game on 39.2% shooting from deep. Ellington also averaged 7.2 attempts a game from downtown coming off the bench.

Unfortunately for Wayne, teams don’t seem to want to pay him what he may be worth. Cap space is harder to come by this offseason as many teams, including the Rockets, recover from the crazy summer that was 2016.

The Rockets should consider signing Ellington

Wayne Ellington has been an elite shooter for his entire career. He also plays about average defense, which is acceptable as a marksman off the bench.

He would be great in the style of play the Rockets have year after year. He could be someone potentially replace the offense lost with Trevor Ariza leaving, as our own Tevin Williams wrote about earlier in the month:

Guards always excel in the D’Antoni system, so Ellington might find himself in a great situation going into next summer. He could sign a one-year deal with the Rockets, possibly with the mid-level exception. Then, next year when the salary cap is up, he could get himself more money.

No reported interest

Unfortunately, the Rockets have shown no interest in the shooter. Kelly Iko of USA Today reported yesterday that the team has shown nothing in regards to Ellington:

I’m told there’s “nothing to report” concerning any Houston interest in free agents Wayne Ellington or Gerald Henderson at this time.

— Kelly Iko (@KellyIkoNBA) July 6, 2018

Next: The Rockets should sign Melo under these circumstances

If the Rockets want an excellent 3-point shooter who can make a difference in the playoffs, they should really start looking into Wayne Ellington.