The Golden State Warriors had two major goals coming into this offseason after winning the NBA Championship. The first one was to get Draymond Green re-signed to a long-term deal, which they did, and the second thing was to trade David Lee. Marc Stein reported that the Warriors have achieved goal No. 2 also by trading Lee to the Boston Celtics.
In return for Lee, the Warriors will be getting Gerald Wallace, according to CBSSports.com. Wallace was involved in the trade just to balance out the cap numbers, and as Bobby Marks reported, if the Warriors use the stretch provision on Wallace, they will pay him $3.3 million a year for three years as opposed to $10 million for one year.
Wallace certainly will not get any minutes with the Warriors as his career has been on a down slope since he was traded from the Brooklyn Nets to the Celtics. Last season, Wallace averaged just over one point per game, while averaging nine minutes a game.
On the other hand, Lee, 32, is a very good pickup for the Celtics and will play a big role for them. The team had a big need for big men as the majority of their frontcourt players aren't of high caliber. Lee, though, is a two-time All-Star that didn't get much playing time last year because of injuries and the Warriors stacked roster.
Lee played in 49 games last season, averaging only 18.4 minutes, 7.9 points and 5.2 rebounds per game, which were all his lowest since his rookie season. Lee showed in the playoffs that he is still very capable of playing at a very high level. He can still provide scoring punch in the paint and grab rebounds at a very good clip. Per 36 minutes last season, Lee averaged a double-double with 15.5 points and 10.2 rebounds per game.
Playing time shouldn't be a problem for Lee in Boston as his arrival immediately makes him the best big man on the team. Kelly Olynyck, Jared Sullinger and Tyler Zeller are all nice players, but they are all better suited for bench roles. Lee will likely start and provide some much needed consistent interior scoring for Brad Stevens' team.
This trade is a great deal for both teams and David Lee as everybody seems to make out on the deal in one way or another. Boston gets their big guy, while Golden State clears $12 million worth of cap room without giving up a draft pick or future assets. For Lee, he will likely get a lot more playing time now and will be a big part of the offense for a team that made the playoffs last year and feels like it will only improve over the next few years.
