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The New York Knicks need to find minutes for Courtney Lee

By Ed Easton Jr.

LONDON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 17: Courtney Lee #5 of the New York Knicks and Jeff Green #32 of the Washington Wizards pose for a photo after the 2019 NBA London Game on January 17, 2019 at The O2 Arena in London, England. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Ned Dishman/NBAE via Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 17: Courtney Lee #5 of the New York Knicks and Jeff Green #32 of the Washington Wizards pose for a photo after the 2019 NBA London Game on January 17, 2019 at The O2 Arena in London, England. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Ned Dishman/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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New York Knicks veteran shooting guard Courtney Lee hasn’t seen much action since returning from injury, and it’s hurting his trade value.

The 2018-19 regular season has been nothing more than a showcase of young talent for the New York Knicks. The poor record is just part of the plan to build for a hopefully better future, while head coach David Fizdale cobs through the roster to see who will be part of the journey.

As the young players continue to showcase their talent regardless of wins or losses, veterans have been forced to take a backseat — most notably, shooting guard Courtney Lee as he watches most games from the bench. Lee missed the start of the year with a neck injury and has had trouble finding a rhythm since returning to action early last month. This has led to his benching in favor of younger players, and he’s essentially been lost in the rotation.

It’s been no secret that the Knicks are open to trading the former Western Kentucky University standout for a future draft pick, but have yet to find a trading partner. Lee has only appeared in 10 games this season with little indication that he will see more action barring a major injury. Lee’s limited playing time is inadvertently making it difficult to sell him to other potential playoff teams that may need his streaky shooting and experience.

During an interview with the New York Post earlier this month, Lee talked about remaining positive during this tough transition.

"“You got to,’’ Lee said. “It’s only right, man. I had guys show me the right way from my rookie year. I had Dwight [Howard] as a vet, Jameer Nelson, Rashard Lewis, Tony Battie, Anthony Johnson, Hedo Turkoglu, Adonal Foyle, J.J. Redick. All these guys that were professionals. And you could take J.J. for example. When I first got there, [Redick] wasn’t playing. He didn’t play at all. And look at him now. He just scored his 10,000th point. He’s having a heck of a career so far. So you never know what can happen. It can turn around at any moment whether it be on that same team or a different team. Just gotta stay positive and ready.”"

Lee is a career 9.9 points per game scorer in his 10 NBA seasons and is often praised for his solid play on both ends of the floor. Teams would definitely show more interest if he were given the playing time to produce a solid reel before the deadline. If the Knicks are banking on his past work as enough proof of his value, it hasn’t netted many results or trade rumors.

It is understandable for Fizdale to focus heavily on the younger talent such as Kevin Knox and Emmanuel Mudiay, but it can hurt the immediate goal of garnering trade assets. The 2019 NBA Trade Deadline is quickly approaching and he can’t get the same value for Lee just being a mentor on the bench instead of a chip to bring in more potential draft picks in the upcoming seasons.

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If the Knicks truly want to build for the future, they need to properly let go of the past and get value for it. Lee is a tremendous pro that every locker room needs for his character, but his departure will do both sides well in the long run. At least 15 minutes per game need to be carved out for him heading into February’s deadline, or the Knicks may fail at trying to rebuild the franchise’s losing image with assets and cap space for this summer’s free agency plans.

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