Deal Or No Deal, David Lee Is Not Happy
David Lee (photo. New York Post)
With NBA training camp opening in about a month, the Knicks still need to figure out what they’re doing with Nate Robinson and David Lee. While Nate Rob met with Donnie Walsh yesterday, word out of New York is that if a legit deal isn’t in place by September 28th, Lee could hold out of camp.
“I certainly hope not, but you have to have an agreement,” agent Mark Bartelstein told The Post yesterday. “I never thought we’d be this far without a deal. It comes down to making a deal. You have to ask [team president] Donnie [Walsh].”
“All we’ve agreed is if we can’t do a sign-and-trade, we will work out a reasonable one-year deal,” Bartelstein said.
But what is reasonable? Bartelstein has said that Lee will not accept the $2.5 million qualifying offer (which would be less than the $2.9 million qualifying offer that’s on the table for Nate) and dismissed rumblings that Lee has been offered a one-year deal in the $5-$6 million range.
With no teams appeared ready, willing or able to do a sign-and-trade, that leaves Lee between a rock and hard place. Surely he doesn’t want to hold out, but at the same time he should be paid appropriately this season.
What do you think will/should happen?
Source: New York Post
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August 27th, 2009 at 11:51 am
That's whats Up says:
typical knicks – piss off your best player for no reason
August 27th, 2009 at 11:51 am
Scott says:
He’s more fucked than AI is, in regards to his FA situation.
No teams can offer him the deal he wants, and Walsh seems to care less about trying to re-sign him.
If I’m Lee I’d be looking at going to Europe for a year and coming back next year, even if he’s restricted more teams will have the space to offer him something that NYK won’t want to match, and you know the Knicks won’t want to drop cash on him that offseason.
August 27th, 2009 at 11:53 am
c-viz says:
he deserves a deal similar to Verajao. ha has earned it
August 27th, 2009 at 11:56 am
Derrty says:
DLee is a solid double-double machine. How can Cleveland invest so much in Verajao and no one wants Lee? Cleveland should have went after Lee instead. It also amazes me that no team is willing to do a sign-and-trade for Lee. It’s not like he’s a bad character guy. NY is making all these salary cap moves for 2010, but they won’t have a solid core to entice the free agents.
It’s like Miami and NY are polar opposites. MIA wants thier star to commit in order to build a squad around him. NY doesn’t want any of thier bug guns to commit at all. I think 2010 will be more dissapointing for these teams than people are hyping it up to be.
August 27th, 2009 at 12:00 pm
Citizen B says:
Lose out on Jason Kidd, Andre Miller, and Grant Hill. Then piss off your own guys wanting to resign with your team. Oh, and you guys think your getting Lebron or Wade?!?
HAHAHAHHHAHAHA
August 27th, 2009 at 12:02 pm
doc says:
Everytime I see Lee on TV somebody is busting his ass.You believe that Knicks best player bullshit if you want.
August 27th, 2009 at 12:07 pm
Detroit Dave says:
The League should get rid of the whole Restricted Free Agent process. Ramon Sessions, Nate Rob, David Lee and others are among players that can’t land a job because a team owns their rights. Maybe in the next collective bargaining agreement they should put a time frame that forces RA’s to become Free Agents if no deal is made before Oct 1.
The Next Collective Bargaining Agreement Should Include:
-no more restricted free agents
-owners should be able to cut players (like in the NFL) after three years
-shorten the NBA season from 82 to 65 games
-add a 1st round bye
-add an extra 3 game wild card for the lowest seeded teams
August 27th, 2009 at 12:15 pm
EN FUEGO says:
Maybe they should just make a deadline for Restricted Free Agents. If that date passes and the team that has his rights hasn’t made at least a reasonable offer, then the player now becomes a Unrestricted Free Agent…
August 27th, 2009 at 12:19 pm
das knicks fan says:
Lee’s biggest problem is his abysmal defense. He’s a poor one-on-one defender and has no inside presence whatsoever. Couple that with his lack of a go-to offensive move, the Knicks glut at power forward and the declining salary cap – and you have the current stalemate.
August 27th, 2009 at 12:27 pm
Celts Fan says:
@3 and 4 – David Lee is just an energy guy who happens to be playing in the best stat-producing system since the Suns died. Put him on a “normal” team and he should be your 6th man or 5th best starter. He’s terrible defensively and smaller than Varajau. I’d say about $6M per is all I’d go and even that might be too much (but is fair market value at least.)
August 27th, 2009 at 12:34 pm
Yoooo says:
The Knicks disgust me. They have 2 players in Lee & Robinson their fan bases LOVES, and who are good character, good energy guys and they’re not going to sign them? That’s why they aint never gonna be sh!t…
On a more positive note DIME, I saw your boy CGF at The Cafeteria last night… He was with Brooke and she is… well, she is… amazing…
Check out my site when you get a chance too… MenWithGirls.Com (SFW)
August 27th, 2009 at 12:48 pm
Simon says:
Maybe I don’t understand the NBA Restricted Free Agent rules, but were/are other teams not allowed to offer a deal? In the NHL I think you can offer a deal and then the team that owns the rights (NY) can match it. If this is the case, then why didn’t Orlando or Cleveland offer something to David Lee immediately with the hopes that if NY matched it they could still try to pick up Gortat or Sideshow?
We can all bring up their negative attributes, but it’s still a sad day when players like A.I., Lee, Robinson, Sessions and Felton don’t have deals but _________ (insert name of bum player here) does.
August 27th, 2009 at 12:51 pm
That's whats Up says:
doc even your ass gets busted but you consider yourself a good player, don’t you?
August 27th, 2009 at 12:55 pm
Cuaeric says:
Supply and Demand. David Lee should find a deal elsewhere. He is a restricted free agent, right? On the other hand the Knicks are finally learning some fiscal responsibility, only ten years after the Houston contract. Don’t outbid yourself!
August 27th, 2009 at 1:03 pm
LaMont says:
Lee is not a solid double double guy, a Zach Randolph is a solid double double guy, when Eddy Curry returns to the lineup, Lee’s points and boards will decline; points definitley, maybe not rebounding and you don’t pay 10 plus million for 11 rebounds per game. Lee’s defense is horrible. He needs to understand and stay in his lane. He’s getting alot of notoriety by being in NY and let’s put it out there as a white boy who hustles and is good at what he does (rebound)he’s gonna get endorsement deals. What he’s gonna do is get overpaid and then be ass out on his next contract ala Jim McIlvaine who at least had balls to defend and stand up to the likes of Rodman. D. Lee offers no toughness.
August 27th, 2009 at 1:04 pm
Kobeef says:
NBA “Frankenstein Math” explains why David Lee doesn’t have a contract:
Josh Smith frame (height/length) + Varejo skill set + Andre Miller athleticism + Mike D’Antoni stat stuffing = David Lee
August 27th, 2009 at 1:14 pm
RonNation says:
Utah should do a sign and trade with boozer and Lee.
August 27th, 2009 at 1:27 pm
LakeShow84 says:
Yeah why is everyone so sold on Lee?? i give it to him he double doubled last year all day but HE WAS THE ONLY BIG MAN out there all season..
And he IS horrible on Defense.. it aint hard to grab boards when your the only one grabbing them..
I think hes gotten a little too full of himself.. This is all because he knows he had his best year and this will be his ONLY CHANCE at making some big bucks.. But everyone knows hes a product of the system..
Dude is just a veteran Hansborough..
August 27th, 2009 at 1:40 pm
Dagomar says:
I think many of you guys are being a bit unfair to Lee.
Lee averaged more points last year because he played more minutes and got off more shots, not because he played in D’Antoni’s system. Last year he actually averaged his lowest FG % since he entered the league, as well as his lowest FT% since 2006. He’s a great rebounder but his rebounding rate hasn’t improved much under D’Antoni, either. In 06/07 he averaged one fewer rebound a game in 5 fewer minutes.
It really helps to actually look at the facts and stats when you talk about a guy’s production rather than making glib assumptions about a system inflating stats.
All that said, the stats also confirm that Lee hasn’t really improved in a few years. He’s a double-double machine and one of the best rebounders in the league – that much is clear. But he’s far from a shot-blocker and never will be one. He’s also not a defensive presence in general and he doesn’t have a go-to move. He should command something in the order of 6-7 million/year, MAX. On a good team he’d be a great asset coming off the bench.
Sadly, the Knicks are crap at the moment and it’s probably true that Lee is their best player, or at least their best piece.
August 27th, 2009 at 1:45 pm
Diego says:
Kobeef got it except for the athleticism. Lee has athleticism–that and hustle is really all Lee has.
He is shorter and less muscular than Horford, and no one on here believes even Horford is a center! Gortat and Varagao are much bigger than Lee; no team is going to go after Lee as a center, because he is not nearly big enough to be a center on a conventional team.
I still think Lee is a solid power forward, with only upside as he develops more of a shot from midrange and outside.
August 27th, 2009 at 1:58 pm
jzsmoove says:
30M/ 5 YR contract. Thats fair for both parties.
August 27th, 2009 at 2:05 pm
muwu says:
@LaMont
David Lee: “Ooh, i’m scared of big bad 5.3 career rebound average Eddy ‘out to eat us all’ Curry stealing my rebounds”
August 27th, 2009 at 2:14 pm
dukesman2000 says:
Well, Lee has been surviving off the hype the NY love fest (one, I could never understand)for too long, now. Donnie Walsh and Mike D’Antoni see through the smoke screen and realize that he is garbage.
August 27th, 2009 at 2:34 pm
doc says:
@thats whats up-It happens but I mean EVERY SINGLE TIME I seen him play somebody was working his ass out.
August 27th, 2009 at 2:41 pm
Lady Luck says:
Lee needs to settle on a 1 year deal. If he can’t get $5-$6 mill from them, then take the $4.5 mill, play your ass off this year, and get paid unrestricted the following season. That’s his best play. Clearly no other team wants to pay him $5-$6 mill or they would have at least made an offer, so he’s going to have to play to get his payday.
August 27th, 2009 at 3:56 pm
That's whats Up says:
fair enough doc – he usually does decently on D when I’ve seen him.
If he gets to play this year I’ll check him out more
August 27th, 2009 at 3:57 pm
loons says:
Listen up ignorant people (Knicks haters). These Knicks are not the same as the ones run by Isiah/Layden. Donnie Walsh is the best thing to happen to this team in a long time. Since I won’t even pretend to be able to explain it as well as Alah Hahn can, I suggest you pay attention to his blog, The Knicks Fix. That is the ONLY place to get honest Knicks news. In the meantime, open your eyes. People get pissed at the Knicks because of their free spending ways. But when they show some constraint and not overpay David Lee, who has no other offers from other teams, they are now all of sudden screwing with him? Get off your high horse. (Informed Knicks fans are not up on their high horses, just to beat you to the punch.) Even Lee understands what the Knicks are doing and why they are doing it. Sorry to go off on a rant, but it’s such an insult when crap written by the NY Post (specifically Marc Berman) gets people stirred up to talk smack about the Knicks for no good reason.
August 27th, 2009 at 5:49 pm
dwight t says:
This is just a normal part of the negotiating process, within the rules determined by the collective agreement signed by both the players and the league.
This is not a lot different than buying a car. And as you all know, until the buyer and seller agree on the terms and price, then document it with a duly signed and witnessed contract, its all still just negotiating.
Don’t get fussed!
August 27th, 2009 at 6:21 pm
Mack Brownee says:
I cheer for the knicks but wtf are they thinking? I don’t want them throwing money out the window but lee was one of their best players last season. Give this guy a decent one year deal and get over it…I’m going to lmao if they don’t sign any noteworthy players in 2010
August 28th, 2009 at 5:39 am
elk burg says:
since no team has made him an offer & the knicks haven’t been a playoff team is years whats’s his argument? 1 year @ 4.5 it is prick