3-point shooter agrees to return
Ellington’s one-year, $6.3M deal puts team over luxury-tax line.
LAS VEGAS — Wayne Ellington is returning to the Miami Heat, after nearly two weeks of waiting and wondering if he would get his wish to be back with the club for a third season.
A person with direct knowledge of the terms said Thursday night Ellington accepted a $6.3 million, one-year offer that matches his salary from last season.
Keeping Ellington was a top priority for the Heat this summer, and the veteran guard made clear he wanted to be back in Miami.
“I feel great here in Miami,” Ellington said. “I’ve built very strong relationships with a lot of people. These guys that I go to war with every night, we’ve gone from strangers to teammates to brothers. This is where I wanted to be.”
Ellington set a Heat record with 227 3-pointers last season and averaged career highs of 11.2 points and 26.5 minutes.
When Ellington was good, Miami was really good. He appeared in 77 games. The Heat went 29-13 when he made at least three 3-pointers and 13-22 when he failed to connect on at least that many.
And he made it clear many times, both during the season and even in the offseason, he wanted to remain with the Heat.
Miami was the No. 6 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs last season, falling to Philadelphia in the first round. Miami’s roster, for now, is fairly similar to what it was last season, although the Heat are still waiting to see if they will be bringing back veterans Dwyane Wade and Udonis Haslem, whose status for 2018-19 remains unclear.
“I don’t think we showed everything we were capable of last season,” Ellington said. “Already this summer, guys have been working. Guys have improved. That’s what it’s about. You’ve got to get better from within, from inside your team. And naturally, I think we’ll continue to get better.”
Miami is Ellington’s seventh team. He was chang- ing addresses annually for a five-year stretch before arriving in Miami — his career started with three seasons lowed Memphis, las, ers and the by Brooklyn in Los short Cleveland, Minnesota, Angeles stints that with Lak- pre- Dal- folceded Heat in his 2016. signing with the “I feel like this is home now,” Ellington said. Ellington’s contract puts Miami about $4 million over the $123 million luxury-tax line, but the Heat are will- ing to pay a small tax. A team’s luxury-tax bill is not determined until the final day of the regular season, giving Miami time to continue efforts to get back under the tax. And the Heat are expected to continue efforts to trim salary, with Hassan Whiteside and Tyler Johnson among those who have been made available, according to a high-ranking executive with another team.
The deal also ke e ps Miami from adding to its salary commitments in 201920, when Miami already has $119 million committed — above the projected $109 million cap for that season.
The Heat now have 12 players due guaranteed money next season. Teams can keep as many as 15, plus an additional two players on two-way contracts.