#ProTops: Courtney Lee Wants To Be Traded to Contender — Report
On Tuesday night, a story was circulating the Twitters regarding former Hilltopper Courtney Lee and his future, or lackthereof, with the…
On Tuesday night, a story was circulating the Twitters regarding former Hilltopper Courtney Lee and his future, or lackthereof, with the New York Knicks.
In Marc Berman’s story, he lays out some stuff that we already knew and some new information (at least, new information to me).
Berman reports that the Knicks have been actively shopping Lee, mostly to clear some cap space. We knew this.
He also said Lee’s decision to go to a winner is hinged on spending the summer in Orlando (where they’re not really in a winning spot…? But, TJ Price is there so are they working out together?) and Los Angeles, coupled with the fact that Lee signed his four-year deal back in 2016 with the Knicks as a “win-now,” move and NYK has done just about anything but since.
Berman also notes that, if there’s a strong contender for his services, it’s the 76ers, who offered a deal to Lee prior to him signing with the Knicks in 2016.
Of course, this wouldn’t be an “NBA offseason story,” without a little drama.
CLee went to Instagram (at least, what I think is instagram) to report that he hadn’t spoken with anyone in the media this offseason and he was trying to play coy with the whole thing.
However, Berman clearly states his source is an “NBA source.” That isn’t to say Lee isn’t the source, but just because CLee hasn’t been talking to the media also doesn’t mean someone in the Knicks’ front office hasn’t been.
Also, this story doesn’t necessarily mean Lee is demanding out of the Big Apple. As we’ve said, it’s been several months that the Knicks have been shopping him now and this could (and definitely reads as) be a case that if he’s traded, he’d rather go to a contender, not “trade me to a contender now.”
It’s all very convoluted and layered, but that’s just the NBA offseason now, isn’t it?
It may be a weird couple of opening months for Lee in New York, but as long as his minutes and performance isn’t affected, we’ll just see where the wind takes us.
Er, him.