NBA Trade Rumors: 7 veterans who could help a contender

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7. Wayne Ellington, Detroit Pistons

The 9-25 Detroit Pistons are careening toward the lottery, which should make them one of the few obvious sellers at the trade deadline.

They’ll likely struggle to find a taker for Blake Griffin, who’s earning $36.8 million this year and has a $39.0 player option for next season, but they should have no such problem with Wayne Ellington.

The 33-year-old shot a scorching 53.2 percent from 3-point range on 6.7 attempts per game across his first 14 outings this season. He’s gone ice-cold since, shooting only 23.8 percent from deep on 5.3 attempts per game over his past 12 games, but the Pistons’ horrendous point guard play hasn’t helped generate easy catch-and-shoot looks for him.

Although Ellington is mostly a one-trick pony on offense — 93.8 percent of his triples have been assisted this year — every team could use more knockdown shooters. He’s hit 38.0 percent of his career 3-point attempts, which should make him attractive to contenders in need of more floor-spacers.

Interested suitors will have no salary-matching issues with Ellington, who is on a one-year veteran-minimum contract. The Pistons likely won’t be able to get a first-round pick for him, but teams such as the Brooklyn Nets (via Atlanta), Boston Celtics or Philadelphia 76ers (via New York) may be willing to offer a mid-second-rounder.

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