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11/22/2024 05:47:36 am

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NBA Trade Rumors: David Lee To Take Talent Out Of Golden State Next Season

David Lee and Stephen Curry

(Photo : Getty Images) Golden State Warriors' David Lee and Stephen Curry during the 2015 NBA Finals.

The Golden State Warriors' resident big man David Lee is reportedly being shipped by the team this offseason to maximize his potential as an All-Star in playing for another franchise, according to Bleacher Report.

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Lee, the Warriors' first All-Star player since Latrell Sprewell in 1997, had been with Golden State for the past five seasons. He was the team's former main man until league MVP Stephen Curry's breakout season in 2012-2013.

The 6-foot-9, 245-pound power forward suffered a left hamstring injury during the final game of last year's preseason. Lee was then replaced in the starting unit by third-year forward Draymond Green, who had found success playing alongside the Splash Brothers Curry and Klay Thompson. The youthful starting lineup of the Warriors became the best in the league on both ends of the floor en route to a league leading 67-15 record during the regular season.

Curiously, Green remained as Steve Kerr's starter even when Lee came back from injury. This significantly decreased his minutes which affected his career stats as well. His minutes per game went down from 33.2 in the 2013-2014 season to 18.4 this year. His scoring and rebounding averages also plummeted from 18.2 and 9.3 to 7.9 and 5.2, the lowest in his career since his rookie year, via ESPN.

Although he had played in only limited minutes both in the regular season and the playoffs, Lee is the highest-paid player in the Warriors' roster. Next season, he is due $15.49 million for the final year of his six-year contract with Golden State.

And it looks like neither party would want to do it again next season.

SB Nation reported that both camps have agreed on a win-win solution to their dilemma, with the Warriors helping Lee to land on the best team that could make the most of his talent and skills as a conventional power forward.

When he was signed in 2010, Lee was expected to become the franchise's cornerstone for years to come. And while Golden State is reportedly releasing him with a heavy heart, Kerr is adamant on maintaining his faster, smaller, and shooter-oriented lineup, which will keep Lee on the bench if ever he decides to stay.

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