Potential Landing Spots for Monta Ellis in NBA Free Agency
Monta Ellis has put together two positive seasons for the Dallas Mavericks, boosting his own market value. Even as he has become a crucial part of the team's foundation, his future in Dallas could be up in the air.
Ellis has a player option for next season, and he could very well explore his possibilities in this summer's free agency.
Ellis' deal would pay him $9 million next year, per HoopsHype. It's the last year of the contract he signed after failing to draw major interest during free agency in 2013. He has outperformed that figure in his two years with Dallas.
TOP NEWS
Lakers, More Linked to Nuggets FA
3 Trade Assets Every GM Will Be Secretly Shopping 🤫
NBA Mock Draft with Warriors Winning Lottery Simulation 🏀
Monta has been durable throughout his career, but there are warts. He was visibly hurt toward the end of this season. Ellis gutted it out and played, but even his toughness can't trump the realities of Father Time.
Ellis will be 30 next season, and opting into a one-year deal below his market value makes no sense. He will likely look for his last eight-figure-per-year deal, either with the Mavs or another team.
Dallas will have dibs on Ellis. He has fit well with Dirk Nowitzki, and he wouldn't have a reason to leave a competitive situation if the Mavs pay him what he's worth.
But chances are that the Mavs move in another direction. They will be hunting for big names this summer and will look for all-around improvements across the roster.
Ellis has been essential to the Mavericks' pick-and-roll-heavy offense. Take away his ability to break down the defense, and the Mavs don't reach the highs they did early in the year.
However, Dallas needs an elite defender on the wing, and Ellis doesn't fit the bill in that regard. He falls asleep off the ball and struggles against bigger guards.
If the Mavericks decide to move in a different direction, there should be a market for Ellis. He will presumably look for something like $12 million per year, and more teams might be willing to sacrifice that type of salary slot with the cap set to jump in 2016-17.
Outside of teams that could sign Ellis outright, the Mavs could potentially entertain a sign-and-trade to a destination that makes sense. There are several teams with voids in the backcourt that could use his skill set.
On the surface, Denver appears to be an awkward fit for Ellis. The Nuggets already have a speedy, ball-dominant point guard in Ty Lawson, who is a liability defensively—like Ellis.
Ellis would be a giant upgrade over Randy Foye, but he and Lawson have overlapping skill sets. However, if Monta somehow ends up in Denver, it would be after an eventual exit of Lawson.
The Nuggets could perhaps barely get far enough under the cap to afford paying Ellis, but they would have to fill the rest of the roster with placeholders on league-minimum salaries. That's hardly a smart offseason plan.
Lawson's shaky relationship with his current team, per ESPN's Chris Broussard, and his interest in joining Dallas, according to Basketball Insiders' Steve Kyler, are no secrets at this point. It wouldn't be surprising if the Nuggets eventually look to move their starting point guard.
If Denver decides to act early, the Mavs could have a sign-and-trade offer headlined by Ellis ready. They'd have to perhaps spice it up with a second-round pick in this year's draft, but landing Lawson on a cap-friendly deal would be more than worth it. Adding a first-rounder would be even better, but the Nuggets could be forced to settle for less if Lawson forces his way out.
If the Nuggets decide to blow it up for a full rebuild and trade away their best players for younger assets and picks, they'd probably scoff at the notion of adding Ellis. Monta would also have to be willing to play for the Nuggets for a deal to be possible, which is by no means a guarantee.
If Denver decides against blowing it up and puts all hope into landing a big-time free agent in 2016-17, though, Ellis would be an excellent replacement for Lawson.
The Knicks are starved of talent. President of Basketball Operations Phil Jackson traded away just about every competent player on the roster, shut down Carmelo Anthony for the season and tanked for a high draft pick. New York ended up with the fourth selection in this summer's draft, but it will still have to look for answers in free agency.
Anthony isn't getting any younger, and the Knicks don't have time to develop talent and slowly rebuild. They have cap space this summer and will be big players in free agency in 2016-17, when the cap jumps massively. They'll have to look for players who can help the team win now.
Ellis would have to find a way to share the ball with Anthony, and having two gunners like that could make for a stagnant, isolation-heavy offense. At the same time, New York needs someone who can break down the defense and add a second scoring punch.
New York traded away J.R. Smith, and Ellis shares a lot of similar traits with the former Knicks sixth man. Still, Ellis is a significantly better player and could be a last resort for the dysfunctional Knicks if they strike out on other major free agents.
The Hornets may or may not have sufficient cap space to land Ellis. Al Jefferson and Gerald Henderson have player options worth a combined $19.5 million for 2015-16. Bismack Biyombo will be a restricted free agent, and it's unclear whether the team wants to retain his services.
If Ellis were to somehow land in Charlotte, it would have to be at the expense of Lance Stephenson.
Stephenson was a complete disaster for the Hornets in his first year there, and the team would likely jump at any opportunity to dump his contract elsewhere. His deal, which has a team option for 2016-17, is essentially expiring, and the Hornets could perhaps find a way to unload it.
If Stephenson were gone, the Hornets could look at Ellis as a potential replacement. Charlotte ranked 28th in offensive efficiency last season (97.6), per ESPN's Hollinger stats. It was just ahead of New York and the Philadelphia 76ers, two teams that had almost no real NBA talent.
The Hornets desperately need to spice up the offense, and Ellis could help with that.
The Hawks will have under $40 million in salary commitments next season, per HoopsHype. However, they'll need to take care of two major free agents first.
Both Paul Millsap and DeMarre Carroll will almost certainly get eight-figure deals this summer. If they both re-sign with the Hawks, the necessary cap space to sign Ellis would evaporate along with the need for another wing.
They are both likely to stay put, so this is just wild speculation. But if Carroll gets an offer elsewhere that the Hawks aren't giddy about matching, they could look at other options. If he leaves, Atlanta would have the necessary room to sign Ellis.
The fit wouldn't be all clean. The team would have to bump Kyle Korver into the starting small forward spot, and the defense would likely take a major hit.
NBA Coach of the Year Mike Budenholzer crafted an effective two-way machine this season, but replacing his best perimeter defender with a smaller Ellis would make it tough for Atlanta to crack the top 10 in defensive efficiency next year.
But if Carroll ends up leaving, Ellis could spice up an offense that broke down without a true alpha dog in the playoffs. Monta has already proved that he thrives in a pick-and-roll-heavy motion offense, and Budenholzer could expand his playbook by adding another elite off-the-dribble threat.
The possibility of Ellis landing in Atlanta is distant at best. Even if Carroll ends up leaving, the priority would likely be to find a solid defensive wing to maintain stability. But it's not entirely impossible.
It's hard to find a completely clean and obvious fit for Ellis. Not many teams have both cap space and a void at the 2-guard spot to require his services. But there are potential landing spots for him around the league if he ends up leaving Dallas.
All salary data is courtesy of HoopsHype.
You can follow me on Twitter: @VytisLasaitis.
.jpg?w=600 "Shedeur not currently in line for Browns QB1")
