A major calf injury was one of the reasons behind Courtney Lee being forced to to sit out the entirety of the 2020-21 season. This led to rumors that the 35-year-old veteran has decided to call it a career after 12 years in the NBA. This could not be any less true.
In a recent statement, Lee himself made it abundantly clear that he is anything but done at this point in his career (h/t Tim MacMahon of ESPN):
The last time we saw Lee in action was during the 2019-20 season with the Dallas Mavericks. He suffered the calf injury during the season hiatus and was unable to re-join the Mavs in the Disney World bubble. Dallas decided to sign him for their training camp prior to the start of this season (he took the spot of another Mavs fan favorite in JJ Barea), but Lee was eventually cut by the team before the season tipped off.
Prior to his stint in Dallas, Lee spent three years with the New York Knicks. He had one of the best seasons of his career with the Knicks during the 2017-18 campaign, so perhaps a return to the Big Apple could be an option for him as well.
It is worth noting, however, that Courtney Lee will be 36 next season. He's no spring chicken and considering how he is coming off a year on the shelf, it would not be surprising if the 6-foot-5 shooting guard struggles to get on an NBA roster. Nevertheless, Lee still offers some upside for a contending team looking to add a veteran presence.