13-Year NBA Veteran Retires
Wayne Ellington most recently played in the NBA during the 2021-22 season when he was a member of the Los Angeles Lakers.
Over 43 regular season games (nine starts), Ellington averaged 6.7 points and 1.8 rebounds per contest while shooting 41.4% from the field and 38.9% from the three-point range.
Last year, Ellington did not play in the NBA, and in September it was announced that he was joining the Miami Heat's coaching staff.
Now, Ellington appears to have officially announced his retirement from playing, as he made a post to Instagram on Saturday night.
Ellington captioned his post: "The start of the next journey! Blessed to be able to turn the page with a team this strong 🦾"
Ellington spent part of three seasons playing for the Heat (2016-19), and he joins a coaching staff that two-time NBA Champion head coach Erik Spoelstra leads.
Initially, Ellington was the 28th pick in the 2009 NBA Draft after a successful college career playing for the North Carolina Tar Heels (they won the 2009 NCAA Championship).
Over his 13 seasons in the NBA, he played for the Minnesota Timberwolves, Brooklyn Nets, Detroit Pistons, Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat, Dallas Mavericks, Memphis Grizzlies, Cleveland Cavaliers and New York Knicks.
His career averages are 8.0 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.1 assists per contest while shooting 41.0% from the field and 38.2% from the three-point range in 770 regular season games.
The 35-year-old has also appeared in 11 NBA playoff games.
