10 NBA players in need of a trade in 2017-18
9. Courtney Lee
Courtney Lee was one of the few defensible signings the New York Knicks made in 2016, inking the veteran 2-guard to a four-year, $50 million deal. Unfortunately, he was unable to make much of an impact on the team’s win-loss total, even with respectable averages of 10.8 points per game on .456/.401/.867 shooting splits.
With the Knicks’ new emphasis on youth and a dedication to trading away Carmelo Anthony, a look at their offseason indicates the 31-year-old Lee could be the next expendable piece. In fact, this is nothing new:
The Knicks have considered moving Courtney Lee in order to free up cap space. If Lee is moved, NY will pursue significant FA point guards.
— Alex Kennedy (@AlexKennedyNBA) June 30, 2017
In addition to re-signing Ron Baker, New York invested a whopping $71 million over four years in Tim Hardaway Jr., while also drafting Frank Ntilikina and Damyean Dotson. Ntilikina is a combo guard whose exact position hasn’t been established yet, and Dotson is only a second round pick, but they both could play the 2, and it’s pretty clear Lee will become trade bait very soon.
That’s probably the best for the nine-year veteran, who could skip town before the Knicks enter rebuild mode and lend his 3-and-D skill-set to a more competitive squad — even with the heftier price tag attached.