Boston Celtics: David Lee Back On The Trade Market
The Boston Celtics seem to always make their way into trade rumors; this time it’s featuring David Lee.
It is no secret that the Boston Celtics have a lot of depth, which makes it hard for coach Brad Stevens to allocate minutes. This could be the reason why David Lee is available on the trade market, according to NBA.com’s David Aldridge.
Lee came to Boston from the Golden State Warriors over the summer, along with a $15.5 million expiring contract (he is the highest-paid player on the Celtics).
Lee is averaging 7.1 points and 4.1 rebounds per game and he is shooting 47.4 percent from the field (all career lows). He is only playing 15.6 minutes per game, because the Celtics have a very crowded frontcourt that includes Amir Johnson, Jared Sullinger, Kelly Olynyk, Jonas Jerebko, Tyler Zeller, and even Jae Crowder plays a little in the frontcourt.
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Lee came to Boston to add veteran leadership and championship experience to a very young Celtics team without much playoff experience. The Celtics are outscoring opponents per 100 possessions by 5.3 points when Lee is not on the court — not good considering he was supposed to add offensive production for the Celtics.
Lee has never been known for his defense, which is another reason he has not been playing that much because players like Johnson, Sullinger, and even Olynyk have been great on defense. Lee has posted a defensive rating of 101 per 100 possessions, Johnson has a defensive rating of 99, Olynyk has a rating of 98, and Sullinger has a rating of 96.
So, Lee has not been great for the Celtics at all, and the team has a lot of depth in the frontcourt, which is why Lee is on the trading block. Now the real question is; who would take on this expensive expiring contract of a 32-year-old player on the decline?
David Lee Can Help Some Team Out
Now, some teams might actually be interested in Lee. Teams could rent Lee for the rest of the season because his contract is expiring, and he could add experience and leadership to a young team. He also could get more opportunities on another team because the Celtics have problems with allocating proper minutes to every player, so Lee could benefit from being traded.
The Celtics would be happy to give up Lee for some future draft picks, or a player not worth too much. so the Celtics could prepare to make offers for a max-contract type of player in the near future.
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The Philadelphia 76ers could be a good fit because Lee could possibly add some leadership to a horrible and young team. The Celtics could give up Lee and James Young for Jerami Grant, Christian Wood, Nik Stauskas and Carl Landry. Grant could be interesting on the wing for the Celtics, and Stauskas could maybe find himself in Boston.
Another option could be the Milwaukee Bucks, who could offer O.J. Mayo, Greivis Vasquez, and Miles Plumlee for Lee and Young. Mayo could add shooting for the Celtics, and Plumlee could add a little rim protection, while Lee would add some great leadership for a young Bucks’ team that needs a leader in their locker room.
One last interesting option could be the New Orleans Pelicans, who could be on the verge of cleaning house due to a disappointing season with injuries. The trade would include Ryan Anderson, Omer Asik and Quincy Pondexter for Lee, Jerebko and Young.
This would work out for both teams because the Pelicans might want to call this season a failure early and trade away Anderson, one of their best players. Jerebko has a similar game to Anderson, and Lee could actually help out in the frontcourt alongside Anthony Davis.
Overall
The Celtics definitely did not see a long term future with David Lee on the team. They took a little risk to try and see if Lee could contribute for the Celtics, but he has not been very good for the Celtics at all. His game has declined, but he is still a great locker-room guy and he has leadership skills that some teams could use.
He probably will not be targeted by a playoff team, but some team out there will want to see if Lee can thrive in their system with more minutes. Philadelphia, Milwaukee, and New Orleans are all hypothetical destinations, but trades between these teams and Boston could benefit both teams.
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Lee has not worked out well with the Celtics, which is why the team should trade him away as soon as they can to clear up some cap space.