New York Knicks: Julius Randle and Wayne Ellington needed eachother

New York Knicks, Julius Randle
Feb 9, 2019; Memphis, TN, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Julius Randle (30) walks off of the court after the game against the Memphis Grizzlies at FedExForum. Memphis won 99-90. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports

When the New York Knicks began their off-season spending spree, they probably didn’t imagine Wayne Ellington being a part of their plans. Their most prolific signing, Julius Randle, was the catalyst behind also adding Ellington, a known three-point shooter.

The perimeter shooter received interest from multiple teams but ultimately signed with the Knicks after Randle gave him a call, according to ClutchPoints:

“There were a lot of teams that were interested. I spoke to a lot of different teams and considered a lot of different situations, but [my agent] Mark Bartelstein and I just felt like this was the perfect situation for me,” Ellington told Alex Kennedy of Hoops Hype. “Obviously, New York is a very young team. They have a nice young core with Kevin Knox, who they drafted last year, and RJ Barrett and Julius Randle, who was one of the first people I heard from. He was hitting me up like, ‘Yo, I need you, man! I need your shooting!’

 

“Things just came together pretty quickly, honestly. The interest was mutual and I just feel like it’s going to be a great situation. A lot of people are counting us out, and we hear all of those rumblings. We hear all of it. We’re excited and we’re a very motivated group.”

What does Wayne Ellington offer the New York Knicks?

Wayne signed a two-year, $16 million deal with the Knicks after spending time with the Miami Heat and Detroit Pistons during 2018. Ellington will help stretch the floor and provide better in leadership for the youngsters on the Knicks. Last season, he hit on 40.3% of shots from the field and 37.1% from beyond the ark in 53 games.

The Knicks will likely use him in a specific way and lean on his ability to score from three-point land. The Knicks lacked shooting ability last year, and they made it a priority to add quality in that facet of the game. Their offense should be far more efficient and productive during the 2019-20 season.