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Veteran shooting guard Courtney Lee “is excited” to join the Dallas Mavericks and is not looking for a buyout from the team, according to David Aldridge of The Atheltic.
The Mavs acquired Courtney Lee from the New York Knicks in the Kristaps Porzingis trade on Thursday.
Veteran guard Courtney Lee, also acquired by Dallas today in @kporzee deal that sent @Dennis1SmithJr to New York, not looking for a buyout, per source: "he’s going in there to play and he’s excited." Lee would have been a prime pickup for playoff teams if available.
— David Aldridge (@davidaldridgedc) January 31, 2019
Lee is making $12,253,780 this season and owed $12,759,670 in 2019-20, the final season of this contract. The 33-year-old swingman signed a four-year, $48 million contract with the Knicks in the summer of 2016.
New York is in rebuild move, so they didn't have any use for Lee. He appeared in 12 games this season and averaged 4.7 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.3 assists while shooting 44.7 percent from the field, 31.3 percent from beyond the arc and 64.3 percent from the free-throw line.
Lee will provide perimeter shooting and defense for the Mavs, who enter Thursday with a record of 23-27, good for 12th place in the Western Conference standings. Lee has career averages of 9.9 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.7 assists.
It's important for the Mavs to surround rookie star Luka Doncic with as many shooters as possible, and adding Lee to the roster fits that bill. Lee is a career 38.8 percent shooter from the 3-point line and has playoff experience under his belt. It should be a good partnership in Dallas.
