What to do with David Lee?
By Eric He
After a five-year tenure, David Lee‘s days with the Golden State Warriors are clearly outnumbered.
It is not a matter of whether Lee and the Warriors part ways, but simply how both sides choose to do so. Lee has one year left on a six-year, $80 million contract, and he is due $15.5 million next season.
And while Lee is a serviceable player and still has some quality seasons left at age 32, he is not a fit on this Golden State team. The Warriors’ offense runs on flow and constant ball movement, while Lee’s strengths come in isolation play and post-ups. So Lee, a two-time All-Star, came off the bench last season for the Warriors and averaged career lows in minutes, points, and rebounds since his rookie year.
Lee was a good sport about it, not complaining and taking a backseat ride to a historic championship run, but it is clear that the aforementioned arrangement will not work moving forward. The Warriors and Lee have already mutually agreed to part ways, according to reports, and they are working together to find a trade partner and a new home for Lee.
May 3, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr (left) instructs forward David Lee (10) during the first quarter in game one of the second round of the NBA Playoffs against the Memphis Grizzlies at Oracle Arena. The Warriors defeated the Grizzlies 101-86. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
There is no question the Warriors will shop Lee aggressively in the coming days leading up to the draft, and don’t be surprised if a deal comes down on draft day itself. As expected, the Warriors are looking to package the 30th pick in the deal — per Grantland’s Zach Lowe — as a sweetener for another team to take on Lee’s contract.
The Warriors would be content with acquiring the equivalent of nothing in return for Lee, just a straight salary dump to a team that is willing to bring in the veteran. This would be similar to how the Warriors cleared space to sign Andre Iguodala prior to the 2013-2014 season by sending Richard Jefferson, Andris Biedrins and Brandon Rush to the Jazz along with four draft picks in exchange for Kevin Murphy, a trade that cleared $24 million.
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Dumping Lee, according to Lowe, would save double that amount — a whopping $50 million. Looking at the teams with the most cap space around the league, the Lakers and Knicks obviously are teams to watch for a salary dump. Both teams are struggling, iconic franchises seeking to right the ship immediately, and Lee gives them an established name and talent. The Kings and Raptors are also teams with cap space that may be interested in a power forward, and knowing Vivek Ranadive’s penchant for imitating the Warriors, Lee to Sacramento is not far-fetched, especially if the Kings trade away DeMarcus Cousins. The Jazz are also an option, seeing as they were interested in dealing for Lee before the trade deadline.
I would be in favor of the Warriors acquiring at least some NBA talent in exchange for Lee, to get some value in return. Lowe mentions Channing Frye and Nikola Pekovic as roads the Warriors definitely won’t go down with their long-term, expensive contracts, which is a shame because both would fit in with the Warriors well — Frye with his ability to space the floor and Pekovic, a big with the ability to score inside, one of the few facets the Warriors lacked this season.
Two deals that Lowe points out could work are Spencer Hawes and Gerald Henderson with Charlotte and Randy Foye and J.J. Hickson with Denver. It would take a lot of convincing, though, for either team to pull the trigger, even with the 30th pick thrown in. The Hornets just acquired Hawes, and Henderson is a steady defender who scores in double-digits. Foye is a three-point threat who would entice the Warriors, and Hickson provides excellent depth down low.
Jan 11, 2014; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Nuggets power forward J.J. Hickson (left) and point guard Randy Foye pose for a picture before the start of the game against the Orlando Magic at the Pepsi Center. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
A couple of years ago, those trades would be no-brainers with Lee being an All-Star and automatic 20-and-10 guy. But now, the Warriors will have to pay the price of decreasing his value by bringing him off the bench and watching him lose much of his offensive flow, not to mention his suspect defense.
At this juncture, it seems more than likely that if the Warriors are to get rid of Lee, it will be via a salary dump. The options to bring players back are either too expensive or too unlikely to get done.
Alternatively, the Warriors could buy Lee out and allow him to sign with any team, or they could keep him into the season and see if the market changes.
The latter decision is doubtful. Lee does not want to be banished to the bench again, and the Warriors respect that. He is better suited to be a first or second option on a bad team than a role player on a good team. He was the former for years on the awful Knicks and the Warriors before they exploded onto the scene, and he was the latter when the Warriors won it all.
The bottom line: David Lee has likely played his final game in a Warriors uniform; the only question remains how he will make his exit.