The Charlotte Hornets received a backcourt boost ahead of the trade deadline as they acquired guard Courtney Lee from the Memphis Grizzlies in a deal that also involved the Miami Heat.
Memphis received forward P.J. Hairston from the Hornets and center Chris Andersen from the Heat, along with four future second-round draft picks (two picks each from Miami and Charlotte).
Meanwhile, the Heat added point guard Brian Roberts from the Hornets in the accomplished deal.
Lee's arrival to Buzz City is huge for the team that is competing for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference and is currently eighth in the standings with a 27–26 record.
The 30-year-old guard will join fellow shooting guards Jeremy Lamb and rookie Aaron Harrison in the Hornets' rotation.
Because of his advantage in experience, Lee is likely to be Charlotte's new starter at the number two position that will place fellow veteran Nicolas Batum to his original position which is at small forward.
This 2015–16 National Basketball Association (NBA) season, Lee played in 51 games (37 starts) in his third year in Memphis.
In those outings, Lee averaged 10 points, 2.3 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and one steal in 29.2 minutes of action.
"We are excited to be adding a quality veteran wing player to our roster in Courtney Lee," Hornets general manager Rich Cho stated on the team's website.
Cho continued, "Courtney has proven to be a team defender, a consistent outside shooter and a solid scorer in our league for the past eight years. Particularly in terms of experience, he adds depth to our roster in a position of need for us and we expect him to fit in to our system and contribute right away."
The Hornets' postseason campaign improved with Lee joining them as he is a playoff veteran who already reached the stage four times in his career, with one of those an NBA Finals appearance during his stay with the Orlando Magic.
