What You Need To Know About David Lee
BOSTON (CBS) -- Danny Ainge donned his "Trader Danny" hat on Tuesday and reportedly completed a deal for Golden State forward/center David Lee.
While Lee saw his minutes diminish in Golden State with the emergence of Draymond Green, the move gives Boston a notable presence on the glass and a solid post-up option down low. All it cost Boston was Gerald Wallace and his monster contract, so Ainge was able to hold on to his most valuable assets while still retaining some financial flexibility for the future. Lee, who is set to become a free agent after the upcoming season, could also be an enticing piece for a contender come February's trade deadline.
The trade certainly doesn't bump the Celtics into contender status, but it's a sign of things to come this offseason. The opportunistic Celtics are willing to deal, both for now and the future, and Ainge likely has another trade or two up his sleeves before training camp gets underway.
But until Danny strikes again, here's all you need to know about the newest member of the Boston Celtics:
- David Lee was born on April 29, 1983 in St. Louis, Missouri. He was a McDonald's All-American in 2001 and won the dunk contest that year.
- He was 6-foot-1 as a freshman in high school, but grew five inches his sophomore year and another three inches as a junior. He now measures at 6-foot-9 and 249 pounds.
- While he's a natural lefty, he's ambidextrous after learning to use his right hand after breaking his left arm in high school. He shoots lefty but likes to finish with his right hand.
- Lee played four years at the University of Florida, averaging 11.3 points and 6.8 rebounds per game. He was named Second-team All-SEC in 2004 and 2005.
- The New York Knicks drafted Lee 30th overall in the 2005 NBA Draft. He played in 67 games as a rookie, including 14 starts, averaging 5.1 points and 4.5 rebounds in 16.9 minutes per game.
- He played on the Sophomore team in the NBA Rookie Challenge in 2006-07, and was named the game's MVP after scoring 30 points on 14-for-14 shooting from the field to go with 11 rebounds.
- Lee was named to his first All-Star team in 2010, replacing an injured Allen Iverson on the Eastern Conference roster. He finished that season averaging a career-high 20.2 points (off 55 percent shooting) and 11.7 rebounds.
- He recorded his first career triple-double on April 2, 2010, scoring 37 points, pulling down 20 rebounds and dishing out 10 assists against the Golden State Warriors.
- Following his career-year with the Knicks, Lee agreed to a six-year, $79.5 million contract with the Warriors. The deal was completed as a sign-and-trade, with Ronny Turiaf, Anthony Randolph, Kelenna Azubuike and two future second-round picks going to the Knicks.
- Lee made his second All-Star squad in 2012-13 as a Western Conference reserve, and finished the season averaging 18.5 points and 11.2 rebounds. He led the NBA that season with 56 double-doubles.
- Lee suffered a hamstring injury at the end of last preseason and was shelved at the start of the regular season. Draymond Green took over in the Golden State starting lineup, and Lee found himself on the bench when he returned. He started just four of the 49 games he played in during the 2014-15 season, averaging 7.9 points and 5.2 rebounds over 18.4 minutes per game.
- The Warriors are the defending NBA Champs, but Lee was on the bench for most of their fun. He played in just 13 games last postseason, averaging 3.1 points and 2.6 rebounds over 8.2 minutes per game. He was much more productive in the 2013-14 NBA playoffs, averaging 13.9 points and 9.1 rebounds in seven starts for Golden State.
- With a $15,493,680 salary for 2015-16, Lee will be the highest paid member of the Boston Celtics.
- Over his 10-year NBA career, Lee has averaged 14.7 points on 53 percent shooting from the field and 9.5 rebounds per game. He's averaged 6.4 points and 4.8 rebounds over 26 playoff games, all with Golden State.
- Lee is very active in the community, and does a lot of charity work for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.
- You can follow Lee on Twitter: @Dlee42
