David Lee Traded To Celtics
Marc Stein of ESPN reported on twitter today, that the Golden State Warriors have traded veteran power forward David Lee to the Boston Celtics for another veteran, Gerald Wallace.
Lee, 32, spent last year averaging just 18 minutes per game off the bench - a career low outside his rookie season. Lee spent ten season between the New York Knicks and Golden State Warriors before winning his first NBA championship last season. He will be joining a young roster in Boston, where the Celtics crept into the playoffs in the East.
Over the span of his career, Lee has been a double-double machine. He owns a career 14.7 points and 9.5 rebounds per game, but those numbers dropped to just 7.9 and 5.2 last year. Owed nearly $15.5 million for next season, the Warriors had planned on trading him after this season to clear up some cap room for younger players such as Draymond Green and Harrison Barnes.
Wallace, 32, is also coming off his worst season, averaging 9 minutes, one point and two rebounds per game. He is primarily a small forward, but has seen time at the power forward position over his 16-year career. He is also owed a large contract of more than $10 million for next season, so the Warriors are saving about $5 million with the trade.
Wallace has been an excellent defender throughout his career, a skill the Warriors front office cherishes. He has been in the NBA's top-10 in steals five times during his career, most recently in 2008-09 with the Charlotte Bobcats. Wallace also made the Eastern all-star team in 2009-10 when he average 19.2 points and 10 rebounds per game.
Originally drafted by the Sacramento Kings 25th overall in 2001, Wallace spent his first three seasons in California's capitol before being selected by the bobcats in the 2004 expansion draft. It was Charlotte where he spent his prime years on a losing team - he made the playoffs all three years as a king, but only one time in seven years as a Bobcat. Since then, he has spent time playing for the Portland Trailblazers, the New Jersey/Brooklyn Nets, and Boston.
As a Warrior, he will play a similar role as David Lee did last season, assuming there are no serious injuries in the starting lineup. Wallace has never had a good three point shot, a career percentage of 31.2, but he can rebound and stretch the floor nicely off the bench.