Wayne Robert Ellington Jr. (born November 29, 1987) is an American professional

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...

player who last played for the

Los Angeles Lakers The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Lakers play their ...

of the

National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball sports league, league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues i ...

(NBA). He played for the

University of North Carolina The University of North Carolina is the multi-campus public university system for the state of North Carolina. Overseeing the state's 16 public universities and the NC School of Science and Mathematics, it is commonly referred to as the UNC S ...

from 2006 to 2009. He chose to forgo his final season of college eligibility to declare for the

2009 NBA draft The 2009 NBA draft was held on June 25, 2009, at the WaMu Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City. In this draft, the National Basketball Association (NBA) teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball players and other e ...

, and was drafted 28th overall by the

Minnesota Timberwolves The Minnesota Timberwolves are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis. The Timberwolves compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. Founded in 19 ...

High school career

Ellington scored 2,211 points in his high school career, tallying 455 points at Daniel Boone High School, and then 1,756 points at The Episcopal Academy. In his senior year, Ellington averaged 21.9 points, 8.3 rebounds, 3.2 assists and shot 39% from the three-point line. He led Episcopal to an overall record of 52–7 in his junior and senior year, and to the Inter-Academic League Conference title in his last two years going 20–0 in both seasons. (Episcopal doesn't play in state championships.) Considered a five-star recruit by Rivals.com, Ellington was listed as the No. 1 shooting guard and the No. 8 player in the nation in 2006.

College career

Ellington played in all 38 games for the ACC Champion Tar Heels in 2006–07, averaging 11.7 points per game. He was named to the 2007 ACC All-Tournament Team. His season ended on a sour note though, as North Carolina lost to Georgetown in the East Regional final of the NCAA Tournament. He had a chance to win the game in regulation, but missed a 3-pointer in the final seconds. Ellington was a member of the U.S. national team that finished fifth at the

2007 Pan American Games The 2007 Pan American Games, officially known as the XV Pan American Games, were a major continental multi-sport event that took place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from July 13 to 29, 2007. A total of 5,633 athletes from 42 National Olympic C ...

. As a sophomore, Ellington saw his points-per-game average increase as the Tar Heels increasingly went to him in key moments of games. In the January 6, 2008 game at Clemson, Ellington scored a career high 36 points, including the game winning three-pointer with 0:00.4 seconds left in overtime to lead top-rated UNC over #19 Clemson 90–88. But again, his season ended in a poor fashion, as he shot only 1 for 9 from three-point range, in a loss to Kansas in a national semifinal game in the NCAA Tournament. He declared for the 2008 NBA draft after that season, but did not hire an

agent Agent may refer to: Espionage, investigation, and law *, spies or intelligence officers * Law of agency, laws involving a person authorized to act on behalf of another ** Agent of record, a person with a contractual agreement with an insuranc ...

, and withdrew to play his junior year at North Carolina. As a Junior, Ellington helped lead the

Tar Heels Tar Heel is a nickname applied to the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is also the nickname of the University of North Carolina athletic teams, students, alumni, and fans. The origins of the Tar Heel nickname trace back to North Carolina's promi ...

to the National Championship, where they defeated the Michigan State Spartans 89–72. He shot 7–10 from three-point range in the Final Four, and he was named to the All-Tournament Team and was named

NCAA basketball tournament Most Outstanding Player At the conclusion of the National Collegiate Athletic Association, NCAA NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship, men's and NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Championship, women's Division I (NCAA), Division I basketball championships (the "F ...

. During his college career, Ellington averaged 14.7 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game. On April 23, 2009, Ellington announced that he would forgo his senior season and enter the NBA draft.

Professional career

Minnesota Timberwolves (2009–2012)

Ellington was drafted 28th overall by the

in the

. He averaged 6.6 points per game and 2.1 rebounds per game in his rookie season off of the bench.

Memphis Grizzlies (2012–2013)

On July 24, 2012, Ellington was traded to the

Memphis Grizzlies The Memphis Grizzlies (referred to locally as the Grizz) are an American professional basketball team based in Memphis, Tennessee. The Grizzlies compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference ...

for forward Dante Cunningham. On November 11, 2012, Ellington scored a career-high 25 points on 7-of-11 three-pointers in a 104–96 win over the

Miami Heat The Miami Heat are an American professional basketball team based in Miami. The Heat compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The club plays its home games at FT ...

. On January 7, 2013, he set a new career high with 26 points in a 113–81 win over the

Sacramento Kings The Sacramento Kings are an American professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California. The Kings compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Western Conference Pacific Division. The Kings are the oldest ...

Cleveland Cavaliers (2013)

On January 22, 2013, Ellington was traded to the

Cleveland Cavaliers The Cleveland Cavaliers (often referred to as the Cavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Cleveland. The Cavaliers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central ...

along with Marreese Speights, Josh Selby and a future first round draft pick for forward Jon Leuer.

Dallas Mavericks (2013–2014)

On July 26, 2013, Ellington signed with the

Dallas Mavericks The Dallas Mavericks (often referred to as the Mavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Dallas. The Mavericks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Western Conference Southwest Division. Th ...

Los Angeles Lakers (2014–2015)

On June 25, 2014, Ellington, along with Shane Larkin, José Calderón, Samuel Dalembert and two 2014 second-round picks, was traded to the

New York Knicks The New York Knickerbockers, shortened and more commonly referred to as the New York Knicks, are an American professional basketball team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. The Knicks compete in the National Basketball Associat ...

in exchange for Tyson Chandler and Raymond Felton. On August 6, 2014, he was traded again, this time to the

, along with

Jeremy Tyler Jeremy Miles Tyler (born June 21, 1991) is an American professional basketball player for the Piratas de Quebradillas of the Baloncesto Superior Nacional (BSN). Tyler was drafted with the 39th pick in the 2011 NBA draft by the Charlotte Bobcats bu ...

and a 2016 second round pick, in exchange for

Quincy Acy Quincy Jyrome Acy (born October 6, 1990) is an American former professional basketball player who last played for Olympiacos of the Greek Basket League and the EuroLeague. He currently works as a player development coach for the Texas Legends ...

and

Travis Outlaw Travis Marquez “Bonesaw” Outlaw (born September 18, 1984) is an American former professional basketball player. High school career Outlaw attended Starkville High School, where he played for the Starkville Yellowjackets high school basketba ...

. On September 3, 2014, he was waived by the Kings. On September 22, 2014, Ellington signed with the

. On November 11, 2014, he took an indefinite leave of absence from the Lakers after his father was shot and killed in Philadelphia. He returned to action on November 21, 2014. On January 27, 2015, he scored a career-high 28 points in a 98–92 loss to the

Washington Wizards The Washington Wizards are an American professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C. The Wizards compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The team plays ...

. He finished the season having played 65 games after being ruled out for the rest of the season on April 2, 2015 with a shoulder injury.

Brooklyn Nets (2015–2016)

On July 10, 2015, Ellington signed with the

Brooklyn Nets The Brooklyn Nets are an American professional basketball team based in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The Nets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. The ...

. On December 28, 2015, he scored a season-high 26 points and tied a career high with seven made three-pointers in a 111–105 win over the Miami Heat. On April 27, 2016, Ellington was named recipient of the 2015–16

J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award The J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award was an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award given from 1975 to 2020 to a player, coach, or staff member who showed "outstanding service and dedication to the community." The award was named i ...

as selected by the

Pro Basketball Writers Association The Professional Basketball Writers Association (PBWA) is a professional nonprofit organization for sportswriters and editors who write about professional basketball—including the National Basketball Association (NBA)—for newspapers, magazines a ...

(PBWA).

Miami Heat (2016–2019)

On July 10, 2016, Ellington signed with the

. He made his debut for the Heat on November 28, 2016 against the

Boston Celtics The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. Founded in 1946 as one of t ...

after missing the first 16 games of the season with a bruised thigh; he played 27 minutes and scored nine points. On December 22, 2017, Ellington tied a career high with 28 points and had a career-high eight 3-pointers in a 113–101 win over the

. On March 21, 2018, in a 119–98 win over the

, Ellington hit his 200th 3-pointer of the season, making him the third Heat player with that many in a season, joining

Damon Jones Damon Darron Jones (born August 25, 1976) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who was an assistant coach for the Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). A combo guard, he played college baske ...

(225) and Tim Hardaway Sr. (203). In the Heat's regular season finale on April 11, 2018, Ellington scored a career-high 32 points while setting Miami's single-season record for 3-pointers, as the Heat wrapped up the No. 6 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs by beating the

Toronto Raptors The Toronto Raptors are a Canadian professional basketball team based in Toronto. The Raptors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. They play their home games a ...

116–109 in overtime. Ellington needed six 3-pointers in the finale to beat the record of 225 that Jones set in the 2004–05 season. He finished the season with 227. On July 13, 2018, Ellington re-signed with the Heat. On February 6, 2019, Ellington was traded, along with Tyler Johnson, to the

Phoenix Suns The Phoenix Suns are an American professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Suns are the only team in t ...

in exchange for Ryan Anderson. He was waived by the Suns the following day.

Detroit Pistons (2019)

On February 9, 2019, Ellington signed with the

Detroit Pistons The Detroit Pistons are an American professional basketball team based in Detroit. The Pistons compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division and play their home games at L ...

New York Knicks (2019–2020)

On July 9, 2019, Ellington signed with the

. On November 19, 2020, the Knicks waived Ellington.

Return to the Pistons (2020–2021)

On December 2, 2020, Ellington signed with the Pistons.

Return to the Lakers (2021–present)

On August 6, 2021, Ellington signed with the

Career statistics

NBA

Regular season

, - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over t ...

, 76, , 1 , , 18.2 , , .424 , , .395 , , .871 , , 2.1 , , 1.0 , , .3 , , .1 , , 6.6 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 62 , , 8 , , 19.0 , , .403 , , .397 , , .792 , , 1.7 , , 1.2 , , .5 , , .0 , , 6.6 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 51 , , 4 , , 19.1 , , .404 , , .324 , , .800 , , 1.9 , , .6 , , .5 , , .2 , , 6.1 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", Memphis , 40 , , 4 , , 16.9 , , .407 , , .423 , , .938 , , 1.3 , , 1.1 , , .4 , , .0 , , 5.5 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Cleveland Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the United States, U.S. U.S. state, state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along ...

, 38 , , 17 , , 25.9 , , .439 , , .371 , , .898 , , 3.0 , , 1.6 , , .8 , , .1 , , 10.4 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Dallas Dallas () is the third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 million people. It is the largest city in and seat of Dallas County ...

, 45 , , 1 , , 8.7 , , .437 , , .424 , , .909 , , 1.0 , , .4 , , .4 , , .0 , , 3.2 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

L.A. Lakers The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Lakers play their ...

, 65 , , 36 , , 25.8 , , .412 , , .370 , , .813 , , 3.2 , , 1.6 , , .5 , , .0 , , 10.0 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

, 76, , 41 , , 21.3 , , .389 , , .358 , , .857 , , 2.3 , , 1.1 , , .6 , , .1 , , 7.7 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Miami Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a coastal metropolis and the county seat of Miami-Dade County in South Florida, United States. With a population of 442,241 at ...

, 62 , , 13 , , 24.2 , , .416 , , .378 , , .860 , , 2.1 , , 1.1 , , .6 , , .1 , , 10.5 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 77 , , 2 , , 26.5 , , .407 , , .392 , , .859 , , 2.8 , , 1.0 , , .7 , , .1 , , 11.2 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 25 , , 12 , , 21.3 , , .375 , , .368 , , .875 , , 1.9 , , 1.2 , , 1.0 , , .1 , , 8.4 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at t ...

, 28 , , 26 , , 27.3 , , .421 , , .373 , , .758 , , 2.1 , , 1.5 , , 1.1 , , .1 , , 12.0 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

, 36 , , 1 , , 15.5 , , .351 , , .350 , , .846 , , 1.8 , , 1.2 , , .4 , , .1 , , 5.1 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 46 , , 31 , , 22.0 , , .441 , , .422 , , .800 , , 1.8 , , 1.5 , , .4 , , .2 , , 9.6 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 43 , , 9 , , 18.8 , , .414 , , .389 , , .818 , , 1.8 , , .7 , , .5 , , .1 , , 6.7 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 770 , , 206 , , 20.9 , , .410 , , .382 , , .843 , , 2.1 , , 1.1 , , .5 , , .1 , , 8.0

Playoffs

, - , style="text-align:left;",

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, 2 , , 0 , , 7.0 , , .333 , , .333 , , 1.000 , , 1.0 , , 1.0 , , .0 , , .0 , , 4.0 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2018 File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the United ...

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, 5 , , 0 , , 20.2 , , .343 , , .400 , , 1.000 , , 1.6 , , .6 , , .4 , , .4 , , 7.8 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2019 File:2019 collage v1.png, From top left, clockwise: Hong Kong protests turn to widespread riots and civil disobedience; House of Representatives votes to adopt articles of impeachment against Donald Trump; CRISPR gene editing first used to experim ...

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, 4 , , 4 , , 32.8 , , .314 , , .318 , , 1.000 , , 3.8 , , 1.3 , , .8 , , .0 , , 7.8 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 11 , , 4 , , 22.4 , , .329 , , .362 , , 1.000 , , 2.3 , , .9 , , .5 , , .2 , , 7.1

College

, - , style="text-align:left;", 2006–07 , style="text-align:left;",

North Carolina North Carolina () is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 28th largest and List of states and territories of the United ...

, 38 , , 37 , , 23.9 , , .433 , , .371 , , .836 , , 2.9 , , 2.1 , , .8 , , .0 , , 11.7 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2007–08 , style="text-align:left;",

, 39 , , 38 , , 31.1 , , .467 , , .400 , , .826 , , 4.5 , , 2.0 , , 1.1 , , .2 , , 16.6 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2008–09 , style="text-align:left;",

, 38 , , 37 , , 30.4 , , .483 , , .417 , , .777 , , 4.9 , , 2.7 , , .9 , , .2 , , 15.8 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 115 , , 112 , , 28.5 , , .463 , , .397 , , .809 , , 4.1 , , 2.2 , , .9 , , .1 , , 14.7

References

External links

North Carolina Tar Heels bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ellington, Wayne 1987 births Living people African-American basketball players American men's basketball players Basketball players at the 2007 Pan American Games Basketball players from Pennsylvania Brooklyn Nets players Cleveland Cavaliers players Dallas Mavericks players Detroit Pistons players Episcopal Academy alumni Los Angeles Lakers players McDonald's High School All-Americans Memphis Grizzlies players Miami Heat players Minnesota Timberwolves draft picks Minnesota Timberwolves players New York Knicks players North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball players Parade High School All-Americans (boys' basketball) People from Lower Merion Township, Pennsylvania Shooting guards Sportspeople from the Delaware Valley Sportspeople from Montgomery County, Pennsylvania Pan American Games competitors for the United States 21st-century African-American sportspeople 20th-century African-American people

High school career

College career

Professional career

Minnesota Timberwolves (2009–2012)

Memphis Grizzlies (2012–2013)

Cleveland Cavaliers (2013)

Dallas Mavericks (2013–2014)

Los Angeles Lakers (2014–2015)

Brooklyn Nets (2015–2016)

Miami Heat (2016–2019)

Detroit Pistons (2019)

New York Knicks (2019–2020)

Return to the Pistons (2020–2021)

Return to the Lakers (2021–present)

Career statistics

NBA

Regular season

Playoffs

College

See also

References

External links