New York Knicks: Pros and Cons of bringing Wayne Ellington back

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NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MARCH 04: Wayne Ellington #2 of the New York Knicks dribbles against the Utah Jazz during the first half at Madison Square Garden on March 04, 2020 in New York City. (Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images) /

The general consensus is that the New York Knicks need to prioritize the future, but Wayne Ellington is a veteran who may be worth bringing back for 2020-21.

Despite being one of the teams that sparked the leaguewide change in approach, the New York Knicks haven’t quite managed to adjust to modern play. The record-setting Knicks of 2012-13 are a thing of the past, and the longstanding playoff drought is set to reach seven seasons.

While that may cause some to believe that the veterans on the team failed to do their jobs, there may actually be reasons to retain one veteran in specific: Wayne Ellington.

Ellington was both a beneficiary and a victim of circumstance during the 2019-20 season. He received playing time because of the uncertainty surrounding Reggie Bullock‘s availability, and ultimately lost his minutes once Bullock returned to the rotation.

Bullock certainly offers a valuable skill set, but it might behoove the Knicks to realize that Ellington has positively influenced the team on both ends of the floor.

Ellington, who will turn 33 during the 2020-21 regular season, is likely to fixate on signing with a contender. In the event that he would be open to the idea of returning to the Knicks, however, the front office should give serious consideration to making such happen.

This could admittedly change, depending entirely on how the 2020 NBA Draft plays out. If New York’s goal is to improve its roster to the point of being a relevant franchise as soon as 2020-21, however, then Ellington could help them do so.

The question is: Should the New York Knicks bring Wayne Ellington back for his non-guaranteed figure of $8 million?