.jpg) Ellington with theMiami Heat in 2018 | |
| Miami Heat | |
|---|---|
| Title | Player development coach |
| League | NBA |
| Personal information | |
| Born | (1987-11-29)November 29, 1987 (age 37) Wynnewood, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) |
| Listed weight | 207 lb (94 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | |
| College | North Carolina (2006–2009) |
| NBA draft | 2009: 1st round, 28th overall pick |
| Drafted by | Minnesota Timberwolves |
| Playing career | 2009–2022 |
| Position | Shooting guard |
| Number | 19, 22, 3, 21, 2, 20, 8 |
| Coaching career | 2023–present |
| Career history | |
Playing | |
| 2009–2012 | Minnesota Timberwolves |
| 2012–2013 | Memphis Grizzlies |
| 2013 | Cleveland Cavaliers |
| 2013–2014 | Dallas Mavericks |
| 2014–2015 | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 2015–2016 | Brooklyn Nets |
| 2016–2019 | Miami Heat |
| 2019 | Detroit Pistons |
| 2019–2020 | New York Knicks |
| 2020–2021 | Detroit Pistons |
| 2021–2022 | Los Angeles Lakers |
Coaching | |
| 2023–present | Miami Heat (player development) |
| Career highlights | |
| |
Stats at NBA.com  | |
| Stats atBasketball Reference | |
Wayne Robert Ellington Jr. (born November 29, 1987) is an American professionalbasketball coach and former player who is a player development coach for theMiami Heat of theNational Basketball Association (NBA). Known for his shooting ability, he was nicknamed "the Man With The Golden Arm".[1] He played for theUniversity of North Carolina from 2006 to 2009. He chose to forgo his final season of college eligibility to declare for the2009 NBA draft, and was drafted 28th overall by theMinnesota Timberwolves.
Ellington scored 2,211 points in his high school career, tallying 455 points atDaniel Boone High School, and then 1,756 points atThe Episcopal Academy.[2] 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 theInter-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 byRivals.com, Ellington was listed as the No. 1 shooting guard and the No. 8 player in the nation in 2006.[3]
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 the2007 Pan American Games.
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.[4] 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 the2008 NBA draft after that season, but did not hire anagent, and withdrew to play his junior year at North Carolina.[5]
As a Junior, Ellington helped lead theTar Heels to theNational 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 namedNCAA basketball tournament Most Outstanding Player. During his college career, Ellington averaged 14.7 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game.[6]
On April 23, 2009, Ellington announced that he would forgo his senior season and enter theNBA draft.
Ellington was drafted 28th overall by theMinnesota Timberwolves in the2009 NBA draft.[7] He averaged 6.6 points per game and 2.1 rebounds per game in his rookie season off of the bench.
On July 24, 2012, Ellington was traded to theMemphis Grizzlies for forwardDante Cunningham.[8]
On November 11, 2012, Ellington scored a career-high 25 points on 7-of-11 three-pointers in a 104–96 win over theMiami Heat.[9] On January 7, 2013, he set a new career high with 26 points in a 113–81 win over theSacramento Kings.[10]
On January 22, 2013, Ellington was traded to theCleveland Cavaliers along withMarreese Speights,Josh Selby and a future first round draft pick for forwardJon Leuer.[11]
On July 26, 2013, Ellington signed with theDallas Mavericks.[12]
On June 25, 2014, Ellington, along withShane Larkin,José Calderón,Samuel Dalembert and two 2014 second-round picks, was traded to theNew York Knicks in exchange forTyson Chandler andRaymond Felton.[13] On August 6, 2014, he was traded again, this time to theSacramento Kings, along withJeremy Tyler and a 2016 second round pick, in exchange forQuincy Acy andTravis Outlaw.[14] On September 3, 2014, he was waived by the Kings.[15]
On September 22, 2014, Ellington signed with theLos Angeles Lakers.[16] On November 11, 2014, he took an indefinite leave of absence from the Lakers after his father was shot and killed in Philadelphia.[17] 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 theWashington Wizards.[18] 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.[19]
On July 10, 2015, Ellington signed with theBrooklyn Nets.[20] 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.[21] On April 27, 2016, Ellington was named recipient of the 2015–16J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award as selected by thePro Basketball Writers Association (PBWA).[22]
On July 10, 2016, Ellington signed with theMiami Heat.[23] He made his debut for the Heat on November 28, 2016, against theBoston Celtics after missing the first 16 games of the season with a bruised thigh; he played 27 minutes and scored nine points.[24]
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 theDallas Mavericks.[25] On March 21, 2018, in a 119–98 win over theNew York Knicks, Ellington hit his 200th 3-pointer of the season, making him the third Heat player with that many in a season, joiningDamon Jones (225) andTim Hardaway Sr. (203).[26] 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 theToronto Raptors 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.[27]
On July 13, 2018, Ellington re-signed with the Heat.[28]
On February 6, 2019, Ellington was traded, along withTyler Johnson, to thePhoenix Suns in exchange forRyan Anderson.[29] He was waived by the Suns the following day.[30]
On February 9, 2019, Ellington signed with theDetroit Pistons.[31]
On July 9, 2019, Ellington signed with theNew York Knicks.[32] He made his debut for the team on October 23, 2019, scoring three points in a 111–120 loss to theSan Antonio Spurs.[33] On February 8, 2020, Ellington logged a season-high 17 points, alongside five rebounds and three assists, in a 95–92 win over theDetroit Pistons.[34]
On November 19, 2020, the Knicks waived Ellington.[35]
On December 2, 2020, Ellington signed with the Pistons.[36] On March 3, 2021, he scored a season-high 25 points, alongside two steals, in a 129–105 win over theToronto Raptors.[37]
On August 6, 2021, Ellington signed with theLos Angeles Lakers.[38] On April 10, 2022, he scored a season-high 18 points in a 146–141 overtime win over theDenver Nuggets.[39]
On September 29, 2023, theMiami Heat hired Ellington as a player development coach.[40]
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009–10 | Minnesota | 76 | 1 | 18.2 | .424 | .395 | .871 | 2.1 | 1.0 | .3 | .1 | 6.6 |
| 2010–11 | Minnesota | 62 | 8 | 19.0 | .403 | .397 | .792 | 1.7 | 1.2 | .5 | .0 | 6.6 |
| 2011–12 | Minnesota | 51 | 4 | 19.1 | .404 | .324 | .800 | 1.9 | .6 | .5 | .2 | 6.1 |
| 2012–13 | Memphis | 40 | 4 | 16.9 | .407 | .423 | .938 | 1.3 | 1.1 | .4 | .0 | 5.5 |
| 2012–13 | Cleveland | 38 | 17 | 25.9 | .439 | .371 | .898 | 3.0 | 1.6 | .8 | .1 | 10.4 |
| 2013–14 | Dallas | 45 | 1 | 8.7 | .437 | .424 | .909 | 1.0 | .4 | .4 | .0 | 3.2 |
| 2014–15 | L.A. Lakers | 65 | 36 | 25.8 | .412 | .370 | .813 | 3.2 | 1.6 | .5 | .0 | 10.0 |
| 2015–16 | Brooklyn | 76 | 41 | 21.3 | .389 | .358 | .857 | 2.3 | 1.1 | .6 | .1 | 7.7 |
| 2016–17 | Miami | 62 | 13 | 24.2 | .416 | .378 | .860 | 2.1 | 1.1 | .6 | .1 | 10.5 |
| 2017–18 | Miami | 77 | 2 | 26.5 | .407 | .392 | .859 | 2.8 | 1.0 | .7 | .1 | 11.2 |
| 2018–19 | Miami | 25 | 12 | 21.3 | .375 | .368 | .875 | 1.9 | 1.2 | 1.0 | .1 | 8.4 |
| 2018–19 | Detroit | 28 | 26 | 27.3 | .421 | .373 | .758 | 2.1 | 1.5 | 1.1 | .1 | 12.0 |
| 2019–20 | New York | 36 | 1 | 15.5 | .351 | .350 | .846 | 1.8 | 1.2 | .4 | .1 | 5.1 |
| 2020–21 | Detroit | 46 | 31 | 22.0 | .441 | .422 | .800 | 1.8 | 1.5 | .4 | .2 | 9.6 |
| 2021–22 | L.A. Lakers | 43 | 9 | 18.8 | .414 | .389 | .818 | 1.8 | .7 | .5 | .1 | 6.7 |
| Career | 770 | 206 | 20.9 | .410 | .382 | .843 | 2.1 | 1.1 | .5 | .1 | 8.0 | |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Dallas | 2 | 0 | 7.0 | .333 | .333 | 1.000 | 1.0 | 1.0 | .0 | .0 | 4.0 |
| 2018 | Miami | 5 | 0 | 20.2 | .343 | .400 | 1.000 | 1.6 | .6 | .4 | .4 | 7.8 |
| 2019 | Detroit | 4 | 4 | 32.8 | .314 | .318 | 1.000 | 3.8 | 1.3 | .8 | .0 | 7.8 |
| Career | 11 | 4 | 22.4 | .329 | .362 | 1.000 | 2.3 | .9 | .5 | .2 | 7.1 | |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–07 | North Carolina | 38 | 37 | 23.9 | .433 | .371 | .836 | 2.9 | 2.1 | .8 | .0 | 11.7 |
| 2007–08 | North Carolina | 39 | 38 | 31.1 | .467 | .400 | .826 | 4.5 | 2.0 | 1.1 | .2 | 16.6 |
| 2008–09 | North Carolina | 38 | 37 | 30.4 | .483 | .417 | .777 | 4.9 | 2.7 | .9 | .2 | 15.8 |
| Career | 115 | 112 | 28.5 | .463 | .397 | .809 | 4.1 | 2.2 | .9 | .1 | 14.7 | |
