The Golden State Warriors dominated the NBA season last year with the help of center David Lee. However, the Stephen Curry squad, later on, figured that the 6'8" basketball star no longer served a crucial purpose for the team. That is, the Golden State Warriors could dominate the league with only Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green as the core members. With Lee holding the highest contract in the roster, the NBA champs were pushed to trade him to the Boston Celtics.
Mere seven months with the Isaiah Thomas squad, however, Lee finds himself without a team in the middle of the NBA season. Given the decision of the Boston Celtics to execute a small ball gameplay, the center was moved from the starting lineup to the bench. He, later on, saw himself getting an increasingly diminished role in the roster. These moves consequently led to NBA trade rumors surrounding Lee.
However, it looks like Lee will be heading to a new home soon. After his stints with the Golden State Warriors and the Boston Celtics, the NBA star is said to be the target of the Dallas Mavericks. The Deron Williams team is reportedly the only squad to offer Lee a good chunk of cash at this point. Given the massive salary of the center, other interested basketball teams had to back down. However, the Chandler Parsons squad is reportedly more than capable of giving Lee what he wants.
"David Lee is expected to sign with Dallas for the room exception of $2.1 million once he clears waivers," disclosed Shams Charania of The Vertical via social media.
The move that could see Lee heading to Dallas makes sense, according to sports experts. With a league that increasingly attempts to replicate the small ball tactics of the Golden State Warriors, the Dallas Mavericks remains as one of the teams that place significant value on big men.
"Historically, Dallas has managed to get good production out of big men in specific roles," noted James Herbert of CBS Sports. He added, "You can expect Lee to be involved in pick-and-rolls and provide some playmaking. His defensive flaws are well-documented, but there's no reason he can't take some minutes that would have otherwise gone to Charlie Villanueva."
Herbert further noted that Lee will be facing minimal disadvantages upon entering the Dallas Mavericks roster. He shared, "For Lee, there's little downside to joining a solid organization that is sixth in the West and could use some frontcourt help. For the Mavs, there's not much risk, either. Lee's presence doesn't exactly change their outlook on the season, but it does strengthen the bench."
