NBA Trade Rumors 2015: David Lee Won't Return to Golden State Warriors Next Season
Newly-crowned NBA champions Golden State Warriors may need to say goodbye to one of their teammates soon.
ESPN's league insiders stated that David Lee's agent Mark Bartelstein and the Warriors are in talks about the future of the veteran forward in the Bay Area. Sources indicated on Wednesday that the 32-year-old may not return as a member of the Warriors' roster when they defend their NBA title next season, and that the two parties are already finding a way for Lee to fit into another team.
According to the sources, the management said that it is just "unfair" to ask Lee to still be with the team, since he had reduced playing time and if he will be renewed, the same thing will happen next season.
Thus, both sides have reportedly decided to move Lee to another NBA team - a new team where Lee could earn more playing time and prove his worth.
The decision may not surprise some NBA fans who observed Lee's reduced minutes despite recovering fully from a hamstring injury that has slowed him down over the past several months. Draymond Green took over his starting position and the versatile forward performed well for the Warriors, leading to Lee's diminished role, noted Yahoo! Sports,
Warriors coach Steve Kerr explained Lee's reduced role in the team earlier in the season.
"David's a great player. He's been an All-Star. He's still in his prime. What's been tricky is that we've developed a formula while he was out that has been very effective for us. And you compound that with the fact that the whole league is going small at the 4-position and every night you're playing a 3-point shooter at the 4 spot. We've adapted to that. We've adapted to our early-season lineups. Draymond has obviously grabbed that position. So it's tricky," Kerr told CSNBayArea.com in March.
Lee accepted his role and became focused on helping his team when needed, instead. In fact, the former Florida standout made crucial contribution to the Warriors in the 2015 NBA Finals against the LeBron James-led Cleveland Cavaliers.
"We're winning and we're having fun. It's hard at times. I couldn't do this if we weren't winning. But we are. I'm not going to put myself ahead of that," said Lee, who is scheduled to receive $15.5 million in the final season of his six-year, $80 million deal he signed in 2010, Spotrac noted.
Lee, who spent his first five seasons in the league with the New York Knicks, averaged just 7.9 points and 5.2 rebounds during the regular season - his lowest scoring and rebounding numbers since his rookie season.
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