NBA Free Agency Rumors: Courtney Lee to sign with Knicks
By John Buhler
The New York Knicks are doing a fine job of putting together a solid team for 2016-17, as they have just signed wing Courtney Lee to a four-year deal.
According to Basketball Insiders’ Alex Kennedy, “Courtney Lee has agreed to a four-year, $50 million deal with the Knicks.”
It was only a matter of time before the Knicks went after another solid shooting guard in 2016 NBA free agency after letting Arron Afflalo walk to the Sacramento Kings. Lee is coming off a great year with the 2015-16 Charlotte Hornets, helping Charlotte make the Eastern Conference Playoffs and take the rival Miami Heat to seven games in their first round series.
Courtney Lee has agreed to a four-year, $50 million deal with the Knicks.
— Alex Kennedy (@AlexKennedyNBA) July 2, 2016
For the Knicks, they now have a formidable starting five with Derrick Rose at point guard, Lee presumably at shooting guard, Carmelo Anthony at small forward, Kristaps Porzingis at power forward, and Joakim Noah at center. That starting five, in theory, should be good enough to get the Knicks into the 2017 Eastern Conference Playoffs, possibly even advancing a round or two in the process.
For Charlotte, it means that the Hornets were unable to keep three of their five key players from last year’s team that hit free agency. While they wisely decided to bring back forwards Nicolas Batum and Marvin Williams, Charlotte lost its backup point guard Jeremy Lin to the Brooklyn Nets, starting center Al Jefferson to the Indiana Pacers, and now Lee to the Knicks.
At $12.5 million for four years, this isn’t a bad deal for the Knicks at all. Lee is a solid player that can help the Knicks be viable right away in 2016-17. The contract isn’t too step that the Knicks will struggle trading it if the team struggles in a few years if Rose doesn’t end up re-signing in 2017 free agency.
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