5 Potential Trade Destinations For David Lee
3. New York Knicks
Like the Lakers, this one only applies if the New York Knicks strike out in free agency. But since they have only $32.4 million on the books in guaranteed money for 2015-16 (compared to L.A.’s $35 million), since they don’t have the same allure as the prestigious Lakers and since they LOVE David Lee up in New York, they get the nod at No. 3.
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On the one hand, Lee is the exact kind of overpaid player that you’d expect the Knicks to sign. Bringing back a former fan favorite like Lee at age 32 would also be a typical kind of Knicksian move meant to distract fans from another failed free agency.
But like the Lakers, the Knicks wouldn’t be complete losers if they kept their books relatively clean for the 2016 offseason when Kevin Durant hits free agency. Targets like LaMarcus Aldridge or Marc Gasol are at the top of their priority list, but the closest thing NY has had to a beloved players over the last few years (other than Carmelo Anthony) has been David Lee.
That’s not terrible compensation if the Knicks strike out, and once his contract is off the books next summer, New York will A) have way more cap space to work with and B) probably be the frontrunners to re-sign Lee in free agency for a more reasonable price. It’s not the A-list acquisition fans are crossing their fingers for, but it’s not a terrible idea either.
Next: No. 2