Hahn: David Lee Still a Sign & Trade Candidate
by Seth on Aug 30, 2009 12:01 AM EDT
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PrintAlan Hahn's latest Fix is chock full of promise and mystique. The best beat bro in the business cites a source who claims that Donnie Walsh has a few sign-and-trade offers in play for David Lee, each of which would preclude the default one-year deal with New York. We can only speculate as to the trade partners in question and the potential return packages, but Hahn guesses Portland as a possible suitor. The rumor's always been that the Blazers had Lee in their sights, and after being spurned by Paul Millsap, they might still be hankering for some frontcourt help. I have no idea why Portland would want to spend on another big man, but these things aren't really up to me. Anyway, like Hahn says, it's all speculative. It could be Portland, or it could be the Indiana Fever for all we know. Whoever it is, somebody still wants David Lee, and neither the Knicks nor Lee('s agent, Mark Bartelstein) will settle for the qualifying offer until all avenues are explored.
All of this leads me to a difficult question. We all love David Lee, but things seem to be shaking down to a choice between the lesser of two evils. With a multi-year deal apparently out of the conversation, it's either sign Lee for another season and let him explore the open market next summer, or cash out now and get some players in return. For what it's worth (and based on what Hahn says about Rudy Fernandez), I don't think Walsh would agree to a deal for Lee that didn't net some actual basketball talent. The man's not gonna squander perhaps the Knicks' most valuable player for miscellaneous expiring contracts. He'd only do it for miscellaneous expiring contracts with SKILLZ. Anyway, to the polls:
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Why not
sign Lee to a 1-year deal at around 9 or 10 million, then trade him during the season. Maybe we could package him with Curry at the deadline for expiring contracts. Would Lee’s value be higher now or during the season?
you might be right.
let’s sign him! put him out there to start the season! and then ditch the bum!
twitter.com/aighttho
I agree 100%
And if you can’t trade him in the middle of the season, he may still be willing to resign here at the end of the year because the front office didn’t lowball him for the qualifying offer. You could sign a few star free agents then resign Lee with his bird rights.
"You know the world is going crazy when the best rapper is a white guy, the best golfer is a black guy, the tallest guy in the NBA is Chinese, and the three most powerful men in America are named 'Bush', 'Dick', and 'Colon.' Need I say more?"
-Chris Rock
how about an “trade Lee but only if we can package him with one of the undesirables” option. Preferably Jeffries because he’s about as useful as a broken creepy crawler’s oven.
doing a s&t with lee
and a contract that is 1 year long dosnt make much sense to me.
The only reason it makes sense is from lee’s perspective, as it would lead to the long term deal he wants.
You cant sign lee to a huge 1 year option, then just sign him with bird rights. There is a cap hold on his contract+, and there is a strong chance it would ruin the cap space plan.
There is a strong chance Lee will be traded if he is singed for a 1 year deal, as I can see him being useful on a playoff team that may suffer an injury or disappointing season. Maybe a way to grab a draft pick.
If we are gonna have a guy for 1 year, then prob ditch him… I want it to be a guy that either a) is tradeable at the deadline or b) is the kind of player that we may want to keep long term.
Lee COULD be one of those b guys. If he has a real awesome season, and has learned a little D this past summer… He could be worth it.
I see this season as a 1 year audition between lee and nate to see who is worth keeping long term.
It embarrasses me to see Knicks fans mentioning Rubio in connection with someone like Lee
Even if Lee was anything like a comparable talent to Rubio — and if you will check your free agency lists from this summer, you will find that he is manifestly not being valued that way — there is absolutely no way the Timberwolves would be looking to cash in a big-upside point guard for a power forward. They’re already starting two PFs now, and one of them has many of the same positives as Lee and a few more to boot.
What the heck would Minnesota entertain that for? If they dealt Rubio it would be for a scoring wing, wouldn’t it?
wait..
Sign Lee for a year and then trade him? That makes no sense. Why would a team give up anyone of value when Lee can just sign with any team the next year?
"But when he saw it, he just put his hands up and they couldn’t give it to him. It just fell to the ground, I-I don’t, you know … So, that showed me he had great experience..." - Jeff Van Gundy
by Anthony Bonner's Subpoena on Aug 30, 2009 11:15 PM EDT reply actions
i suppose
someone trying to bolster their front line for a playoff push might be desperate enough to blow some money. i’m pretty much with you, though.
wow
when did lee go from being part of our future to being a trade pawn? just sign him to a one year deal. he cant go anywhere next year. we have his bird rights. plus by now its pretty obvious that lee and nate both want to to stay in ny by any means possible. if he really didnt he would have accepted a deal lie the qo from another team by now. this way hed atleast have closure. there is no way donnie lets lee walk. and there is no way lee will walk next summer.
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