NBA Trade Deadline: The 5 players most likely to be dealt

David Lee

The only real use the Boston Celtics have for David Lee now is as a trade chip. He hasn’t played at all in the last 16 games and his spot out the rotation probably won’t be changing any time soon. The Celtics are playing incredibly well right now and with big men such as Jared Sullinger, Amir Johnson and Kelly Olynyk, there are better (and younger) players to utilize.

With his obvious lack of importance in mind, it seems inevitable that the Celtics part with Lee before the deadline. In fact, as Howard Beck of Bleacher Report mentioned just last week, that’s exactly the case.

While his slow defensive presence and lacking rim protection is well-known, Lee can still make a difference with his skill at the other end of the floor, even if it’s only for 12 minutes a game. He’s had two All-Star appearances in his career, and even though those days are long gone, his scoring ability that doesn’t require athleticism hasn’t just disintegrated. He still knows how to move in the post, he has soft touch and a good hook shot near the basket, and over the last two seasons he’s averaged at least 15 points and 10 rebounds per 36 minutes.

The Celtics will be helping to move Lee to a better situation, for both their sake and his. For a young team, perhaps the Los Angeles Lakers, he can still help offensively if given a role to do so. Otherwise, he’s still a player teams will be interested in due to his expiring $15.49 million contract to offer a significant cap space boost for the summer.

Once Boston finds a good deal to remove Lee and his heavy salary, they won’t hesitate to accept.

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