David Lee finds himself in a precarious situation as he ends up back to square one.
Lee was traded to the Boston Celtics earlier in the season as the National Basketball Association (NBA) vet was looking to play for a team that could give him more minutes. At first, that seemed doable, but somewhere along the line, the Celtics changed their philosophy and went small.
As a result, Lee seems to have been better off staying with the Warriors, although his high salary was something Golden State had wanted scratched.
The NBA trade deadline is fast approaching and Lee is one of the players who are likely to move yet again. But the question is where?
The Los Angeles Lakers have suddenly been inserted into the fray but only because the purple and gold are allegedly planning to trade Roy Hibbert. A straight swap could happen, although the names of Nick Young and Brandon Bass could also be in the mix.
Lee could be an interesting experiment for the Lakers. He could prove to be a good addition up front where the Lakers seem to be a bit soft. If things don't work out, the Lakers can just let him go to free agency by season's end.
However, according to the Celtics Blog, Boston may eventually settle to keep Lee rather than get into a trade deal just to get rid of him. In case that happens, a buy-out could happen, although it's interesting to see if any team would pick him up with a presumed higher value.
At 32 years of age, Lee could still get his NBA career going. But with his salary ($15 million), teams could be left thinking on whether or not they would invest in someone like him moving forward.
Lee hasn't shone brightly this season, and that is another factor. Unless Lee ends up accepting something less, the road ahead may be rocky for the veteran NBA center-forward.
