Former Golden State Warriors starting power forward David Lee signed a two-year contract with Western Conference rivals San Antonio Spurs. The deal is worth $3.2 million with the second year being a player option.
Lee's agent Mark Bartelstein confirmed the news to ESPN Thursday. Bartelstein acknowledged that they had been "talking to the Spurs for quite a while" and clarified that Lee signed, despite the relatively low salary, because of his fit with the Spurs team and the chance to compete for a championship with anchors LaMarcus Aldridge and Kawhi Leonard.
Spurs general manager R.C. Buford and head coach Gregg Popovich also deserve much of the credit for convincing Lee to strengthen their bench, particularly their frontcourt, according to The Vertical. Bartelstein said that Buford and Popovich ultimately sold Lee on the merits of "how much they wanted him" and how they would "use him."
The 33-year old power forward has career averages of 14.2 points and 9.2 rebounds. He previously was the starting power forward for the Warriors before a major hamstring injury forced him to miss the opening two months of the 2014-15, paving the way for Draymond Green to take and ultimately keep the starting job. When Lee returned, he saw very limited action on the court but was notable in helping the Warriors win the championship during that season, making significant contributions during some moments in the series.
Lee was traded to the Boston Celtics following that championship run, where he also was used very little owing to the Celtics opting to play and develop their younger players. He agreed to a buyout and was acquired by the Dallas Mavericks, where he finished last season and played well, averaging 8.5 points and seven rebounds while shooting 63.6 percent from the field.
The 11-year veteran out of the University of Florida was chosen in the second round of the 2005 NBA Draft, 30th overall, by the New York Knicks, where he spent five seasons and made the East All-Star Team in his final year. Lee then signed with the Warriors as an unrestricted free agent, a deal which paid him close to $80 million in six years.
Below is a highlight of Lee when he was with Dallas.