Golden State Warriors: Locking Damion Lee up must be a top priority

After a terrific performance on Christmas Day, the Golden State Warriors must find a way to secure Damion Lee past this season.

Damion Lee is two-thirds the way through the requirements on his two-way contract which will limit his time with Golden State. After just 15 more days with the Golden State Warriors, Lee will have to either sign with the team or spend the remainder of the season with the Santa Cruz Warriors.

If he spends the rest of the season with the team’s G-League affiliate, there’s a good chance he’ll hit free agency as an unrestricted free agent. After a Christmas Day performance like his, leading the team in both points and rebounds, he’ll be a target for many desperate teams.

Lee scored 22 points on nine shots and also secured 15 rebounds. He was the team’s best player and led the Warriors although they had players like D’Angelo Russell and Draymond Green on the court as well.

This hasn’t been the first time Lee’s played well. In the 18 games he’s played with Golden State, Lee has scored double figures in ten of them. On top of that, he’s tallied over five rebounds in seven of them and double-figure rebounds in two.

There’s no denying the Warriors season has been a struggle. While they’ve won the last three games, they still have a mere eight wins with 24 losses and are still at the bottom of the West. The Warriors just aren’t the same team that opponents have feared in years past.

Looking for young talent, the Warriors need to keep Lee around although he’s a 27-year-old. He’s proven that, through his defensive woes, the young guard is still able to be a productive player when given the minutes.

At 6-foot-5, Lee has been a quality asset this season. His scoring has been of utmost performance in the 18 games he’s seen time in. Just showcase his importance, the Warriors are 5-13 with Lee and 0-14 in games he hasn’t played in.

Just like Bowman, Lee’s proven that he’s a player that’s worthy of a fully guaranteed contract.