The Philadelphia 76ers should inquire about Pistons sharpshooter Wayne Ellington.
The Philadelphia 76ers are rumored to be in the J.J. Redick hunt. While Redick makes plenty of sense on paper — he’s an elite shooter and one of Joel Embiid’s all-time favorite teammates — his $13 million contract, as well as a potentially competitive market, could make him too expensive for Daryl Morey’s taste.
If the Sixers do indeed pass on Redick, a potentially more affordable alternative is Pistons swingman Wayne Ellington. Whereas Redick would require multiple outgoing contracts to balance salary, Ellington is signed to the veteran’s minimum — $2.5 million. The Sixers could simply open up a roster spot or send back Vincent Poirier to make the money work.
Ellington has a similar skill set to Redick. He doesn’t fly around at the same speed, but he’s a deadly off-ball player who can send defenses into a discombobulated frenzy. On the season, he’s shooting a sizzling 50.5 percent on 6.6 attempts per game from 3-point range.
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The Sixers could probably wrench Ellington away from Detroit for a couple second-round picks. He is 33 years old and doesn’t have the cachet of Redick, who has been significantly worse than Ellington this season. While Redick’s lowly 29.8 percent success rate from 3-point range will inevitably improve (and, conversely, Ellington will regress), Redick is three years older and projects worse defensively.
It would be much easier for Philadelphia to accommodate Ellington salary-wise, and he might provide much punch down the stretch of the season. Redick is clearly entering the twilight of his career, while Ellington might have a better chance of contributing in the playoffs.
Philadelphia’s second unit still has glaring weaknesses offensively, and Ellington would provide a clear upgrade over Furkan Korkmaz or Mike Scott. He won’t do much beyond shooting, but pairing another elite marksman with Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons would have clear benefits.
The Sixers would be able to deploy four elite shooters next to Embiid — imagine Embiid/Harris/Green/Ellington/Curry, or other riffs on that lineup structure. Very few two-way anchors can prop up a group of that nature, but Embiid is one of them. With the big man’s increased processing speed versus double teams, opposing defenses would have their hands full.
Detroit is at the beginning stages of a long rebuild and have no reason to cling tightly to Ellington, who can surely parlay his hot shooting into a contract with a contender next offseason. Other playoff teams will likely call Detroit, but the Sixers shouldn’t have to montage the future to land Ellington. He’s cheap, and potentially superior to J.J. Redick. It’s a move that warrants consideration.