David Lee, now 32, had always been on the Boston Celtics radar. In fact, if there were no restrictions years back, Lee would have donned the Celtics uniform.
The Celtics had their eyes on Lee as far back as their last championship that starred the likes of Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Rajon Rondo, and Ray Allen. But due to salary cap restraints, the Celtics were unable to match offers, which were mostly max salaries, thrown at Lee.
Lee was still with the Knicks at that time. When he hit NBA free agency in 2010, the best the Celtics had to offer was the mid-level exception which was about $5 million. Compared to the max contracts that came his way, Lee would eventually settle in with the Golden State Warriors.
And as everyone knows, Lee was part of the team that won the last NBA title. The thing is, Lee was hardly a factor with the young guns taking over.
Lee is a tough frontline who should add experience in the yuppie frontcourt the Celtics have right now. Even when he is off the court, he can teach the likes of Jared Sullinger, Kelly Olynyk, Tyler Zeller, and Jae Crowder a trick or two.
So with Lee on board, can the Celtics improve on their previous playoff stint last year?
That, of course, remains to be seen; but as far as Lee is concerned, the Celtics will be out there fighting.
"They're a team that plays well with one another, and I think the system that Coach Stevens has put in is very effective. Now it's just a matter of taking another step. And what that step means, I don't know. It's probably too early to tell. But I think that we're going to be a better team than Boston was last year, and that's just exciting times," says Lee during his introductory press conference.
Lee was acquired last July 7, 2015 from the Golden State Warriors in a deal that included Gerald Wallace and Chris Babb.
Lee joins a host of new entries that include Amir Johnson, Perry Jones, and Zoran Dragić, new faces hoping to start something big for the Celtics this coming season.
Will the Celtics finally rise after years of rebuilding?
