David Lee Waived by Celtics: Latest Details, Comments and Reaction
David Lee experienced a fall from grace during the Golden State Warriors' title run a season ago, and his career didn't turn around with the Boston Celtics, who cut ties with the 32-year-old power forward Friday.
According to a statement from the team, the Celtics waived Lee—a possibility first reported by Bleacher Report's Howard Beck on Feb. 3. Beck added Lee has been in search of "a role somewhere" after falling out of the Celtics' crowded rotation.
"We thank David for his contributions to our organization and wish him nothing but the best in the future," Celtics President of Basketball Operations Danny Ainge said, per the team's official press release.
The Vertical's Bobby Marks noted Lee will need to clear waivers before he finds his next home due to the size of his contract:
Marks' colleague, Shams Charania, relayed word of where Lee may ultimately land:
The Warriors shipped Lee to the Celtics last July to rid themselves of a $15.5 million burden in the final year of his deal, and it proved to be a swing and a miss for a Boston team with cap flexibility. Although the financial parameters of Lee's deal didn't matter much since he's on an expiring contract, his production never lived up to the gaudy dollar amount.
In 30 appearances with the Celtics, Lee averaged 7.1 points and 4.3 rebounds while shooting 45.3 percent from the field. There was also the matter of Lee's general presence as a net-negative contributor.
According to NBA.com's stats database, Boston posted a net rating of minus-4.0 points per 100 possessions with Lee on the floor, compared to a mark of plus-5.6 points per 100 possessions when he sits.
| On Court | 95.4 | 99.3 | -4.0 |
| Off Court | 105.2 | 99.6 | +5.6 |
However, Lee reiterated in December that he's never been an advanced stats darling despite posting solid per-game numbers en route to two All-Star selections.
"My analytics weren't good when I was averaging 22 and 12," Lee said, according to the Boston Globe's Adam Himmelsbach.
Digging deeper, the power forward's play-type statistics don't paint a particularly pretty picture. According to Synergy Sports data provided to NBA.com, Lee is scoring a meager 0.89 points per possession as a roll man in the pick-and-roll—a figure that places him in the 24th percentile.
Compounding matters is the fact that Lee hasn't been a steady shooter from any one spot on the floor. According to NBA.com's player-tracking stats, Lee is shooting a meager 49.6 percent inside of five feet and 7-of-23 overall on mid-range attempts between 10-19 feet.
Before small-ball schemes became the tactic du jour in the NBA, Lee looked like a perennial 20-10 player capable of anchoring an offense. However, rapid philosophical shifts have pigeonholed him as nothing more than a rotational big whose defensive upside is capped.
Lee's certainly worth a look as a low-risk signing on a one-year deal by a title contender, but he simply doesn't belong with a team chock-full of young players in need of developmental minutes.
Stats courtesy of Basketball-Reference.com unless noted otherwise. Salary information courtesy of Spotrac.
