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The Warriors’ five best free agent signings ever

By Carlos Murillo

Jul 7, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Kevin Durant poses for a photo with his jersey during a press conference after signing with the Golden State Warriors at the Warriors Practice Facility. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Jul 7, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Kevin Durant poses for a photo with his jersey during a press conference after signing with the Golden State Warriors at the Warriors Practice Facility. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /
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5. David Lee

Golden State Warriors
Jun 19, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors forward David Lee waves to the crowd during the Golden State Warriors 2015 championship celebration in downtown Oakland. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports /

The Golden State Warriors signed David Lee in 2010 to a huge contract, one that he mostly lived up to through his contributions to the rebuild.

For as flawed as David Lee is and was, especially towards the end of his Warriors career, he still was a very solid player for most of his tenure in the Bay Area.

Though technically the acquisition was through a sign-and-trade, it still counts here. Lee still chose the Warriors and it marked the first time that a player of his caliber willingly picked Golden State. Sure, the huge contract helped a lot in luring Lee.

But there’s no doubt the prospect of playing alongside Curry and Monta Ellis was exciting. Lee was a double-double machine and an All-Star in New York. In his last year as a Knick before joining the Warriors, he averaged 20 points and 11 rebounds per game.

Lee was a key cog in the Warriors’ culture shift. He was there at the beginning of this ascension, providing veteran leadership for a young Curry.

In 2013, Lee was selected to the All-Star game becoming the first player to represent the Golden State Warriors in the contest since Latrell Sprewell in 1997. That same year, he tore his right hip flexor in his first playoff appearance and was expected to miss the rest of the playoffs. Instead, he made his triumphant return to action and helped the Warriors upset the Denver Nuggets in the first round.

In five season, David Lee averaged 16.7 points, 9.3 rebounds on 51 percent shooting. He was an All-Star and a member of the All-NBA third team. In an injury-riddled season in which he lost his starting spot, Lee played a role in putting the Cleveland Cavaliers away in Game 6 of the NBA Finals, clinching his first championship.

He’s a fan-favorite whose services will always be appreciated in the Bay Area. He didn’t play much defense and his offensive game fell apart at the end of his Warriors’ career, but he cemented his spot in Golden State history.

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