Orlando Magic: 3 cheap options to boost team’s scoring

3. Wayne Ellington

Wayne Ellington has found himself in a tough situation with the New York Knicks, but in the last couple of years he has been a valuable contributor for both the Detroit Pistons and Miami Heat. He may be 32, the same age as D.J. Augustin, but the game of Ellington makes taking a chance on him less of a risk.

Whereas Augustin is small, even for a point guard, Ellington has a larger frame and is used to playing off the ball. He does not need to be involved in every possession to be effective and really it is his threat from 3-point range alone that would have opponents tracking his every move.

Playing in New York, you have to think it would not cost the Orlando Magic a lot to get him out of there.

They are going nowhere fast and although they have far too many forwards relative to their guard rotation (former Magic point guard Elfrid Payton is currently getting some run there), the Knicks are in the midst of a rebuild and trying to figure it all out. Unlike many players in the league, this would be a case of buying low on the player as well.

Ellington had some moments with the Heat, and even the Pistons, and is a career 37.7 percent shooter from 3-point range. This season, however, that number is a much less appealing 30.1 percent.

You have to feel for Ellington though, who does not get a lot of room to operate playing alongside giants. Opponents know they can follow him out to the 3-point line, because the Knicks have few other 3-point threats.

Things wouldn’t be a lot better if Ellington made his way back to Florida, but in Nikola Vucevic and Evan Fournier at least, there are guys who can take some of the offensive pressure off of him. Ellington has a similar style to Terrence Ross and deploying them together would give the Magic a different, and much needed, look.