Celtics' Lee on requesting a trade: 'I haven't thought about that yet'
It turns out the Boston Celtics might have too much of a "good" thing. Their crowded frontcourt has created lineup issues for head coach Brad Stevens, who's struggling to keep everybody happy. Ultimately, it's impossible, and right now the odd man out is David Lee.
Lee is perfectly healthy, but hasn't played in two straight games. And that makes sense. Coming into this season, the 32-year-old had never before shot below 50 percent. Right now he's at 47.2 while providing his typical doormat defense. But Lee still believes he deserves more minutes, per ESPN Boston:
This situation is a bit more frustrating, and by no means am I accepting of the situation, and that’s the first thing that I told Brad. He’s the coach, the one making the decisions. I also trust my teammates and want what’s best for the team. So we’re going to have to see how this plays out. The most important thing is making sure the Celtics get a W in the win column. We’ve been up and down as a team, so coach is trying to find some consistency." Lee said that he hasn't pondered a trade request quite yet. "We'll see moving forward how permanent this is," Lee said. "Obviously, I’m very confident I can help a team win. I hope that’s the Boston Celtics. So, no, I haven’t spoken about that. I haven’t really thought about that yet. Right now it’s about continuing to be ready, and if that was talked about it would be between my agent, the Celtics and other teams."
A trade is technically possible, but Lee's giant contract (albeit an expiring one) will be very difficult to move for a player—or players—who upgrades Boston's roster.
The Celtics value having Lee's $15.4 million deal come off their books at the end of the year, and don't want to take on more money unless it's attached to a star like Sacramento Kings big man DeMarcus Cousins.
Short of that, it's tough to envision any trades going down. Lee isn't very good anymore, and the Celtics can't afford to make him happy at their own expense.
