The Boston Celtics announced that they have officially bought out the contract of forward David Lee.
Now that the NBA Trade Deadline is over, the next phase of roster moves is teams buying out players so that they can jump on with other teams before the playoff cutoff on March 1.
The Boston Celtics are one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference this season and while buying out a player may not be something that a top team would normally do, the Celtics have a gluttony of big men and have decided to buy out David Lee.
The team officially announced the move on Friday, and thanked Lee for his contributions this season. The Celtics took on the contract of Lee in the offseason in a move that garnered general manager Danny Ainge praise, as he continued to create flexibility on the roster.
By releasing Lee, his $23 million cap hold will now be off the books and give the Celtics plenty of flexibility in free agency. Where Lee goes next remains to be seen, but he will be sought after by teams in need of big man depth.
With the stretch run to the playoffs beginning now in the NBA, someone with championship experience like Lee will be a valuable commodity, especially if he can come in and provide minutes.
Trade season is over, but buyout season has just begun.