Toronto Raptors: Five potential targets with the Taxpayer MLE

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Toronto Raptors – Norman Powell (Photo by Chris Schwegler/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Wayne Ellington

Speaking of shooters, the Toronto Raptors could have chance to pick up Wayne Ellington this offseason.

Ellington was a potential option down the stretch after being bought out by the Miami Heat, but he took his talents to the Detroit Pistons. A fair move, considering he would project a larger role with the Pistons and would be playing for a contract this summer.

Playing in 28 regular season games, Ellington averaged a career-high 15.8 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game, shooting 37-percent from three on just over seven attempts a night. He remains one of the leagues most consistent volume shooters from three and has shot over 36-percent for the past five seasons.

The Raptors are one of the better three-point shooting teams in the league, but other than Fred VanVleet, there isn’t much depth in terms of shooting. Norman Powell shot 40-percent from three this season — a nice development, for sure — but it remains to be seen whether he can sustain that over a longer stretch.

Ellington was an adequate perimeter defender this season, holding shooters to 34-percent from three, even if he did struggle in the playoffs. Losing to the Milwaukee Bucks in four games, he shot 31-percent from three while giving up over 50-percent of the three-point attempts as a primary defender.

A superb bench contributor throughout his career, Ellington could find himself on a Raptors team set to contend and in need of a little more depth.