Courtney Lee Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Hornets Acquire Courtney Lee In Three-Teamer

February 16th, 2016 at 11:58pm CST by Chuck Myron

Bruce Kluckhohn / USA TODAY Sports Images

6:45pm: Courtney Lee is headed to Charlotte as part of a three-team deal involving the Grizzlies, Heat and Hornets, all of whom have officially announced the trade that Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports originally reported. The Heat pick up Brian Roberts in the deal, while Lee is the only asset going to the Hornets, but the Grizzlies come away with two players and four second-round picks.

From Charlotte, the Grizzlies receive P.J. Hairston, Charlotte’s 2018 second-rounder and Brooklyn’s 2019 second-rounder, which the Hornets acquired this past summer. From Miami, Memphis gets Chris Andersen, Miami’s second-rounder for 2017, with top-40 protection, plus Boston’s 2019 second-rounder with top-55 protection that Miami acquired this past summer. USA Today’s Sam Amick and Chris Herrington of The Commercial Appeal reported the details of the picks changing hands (All Twitter links).

“We are excited to be adding a quality veteran wing player to our roster in Courtney Lee,” Charlotte GM Rich Cho said in his team’s press release. “Courtney has proven to be a team defender, a consistent outside shooter and a solid scorer in our league for the past eight years. Particularly in terms of experience, he adds depth to our roster in a position of need for us and we expect him to fit in to our system and contribute right away.”

The Memphis-bound Hairston had started on the wing for Charlotte in place of Kidd-Gilchrist while he dealt with an earlier shoulder injury that kept him out for the season’s first few months, so presumably Lee will slide into that spot alongside soon-to-be free agent Nicolas Batum. All four players involved are on expiring contracts, with Lee’s worth $5.675MM, Anderson making $5MM, Roberts getting close to $2.854MM and Hairston seeing more than $1.201MM. The Grizzlies won’t be able to re-sign Hairston to a deal with a starting salary of more than $1,253,160 for next season because the Hornets declined the team option they had for next year on his rookie scale contract.

Memphis, Charlotte and Miami are all dealing with significant health issues, too. Marc Gasol has a broken foot, while Michael Kidd-Gilchrist is out for the season with a torn labrum in his shoulder, and mystery surrounds the status of Chris Bosh as he deals with another blood clot. Miami is also missing Tyler Johnson until at least April, if not the rest of the season.

The Grizzlies had reportedly been testing the market for Lee, though they apparently rejected a proposal from the Timberwolves of Lee for Kevin Martin several weeks ago, before Gasol went down. Andersen had been a trade candidate for months, with the latest dispatch indicating that Miami was aggressively trying to trade him as repeat-offender tax penalties loom. The trade as reported lowers the Heat’s payroll by about $2.1MM, but Miami would still need to trim roughly another $3.4MM to sneak under the tax line.

Heat Rumors: Whiteside, Wade, James, Bosh

February 14th, 2016 at 11:01am CST by Arthur Hill

There will be plenty of shooters on the trade market this week, but the Heat may have to give up center Hassan Whiteside if they want a more complete player, writes Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel. Three-point shooting has been a problem in Miami all season, and Winderman lists the Thunder’s Steve Novak and Anthony Morrow, the Kings’ Omri Casspi and the Nets’ Wayne Ellington as possibilities if the Heat want an inexpensive solution. But he points out that coach Erik Spoelstra rarely relies on one-dimensional shooters, and says the Miami front office may be looking for something more. With Marc Gasol out indefinitely, the Grizzlies might have interest in Whiteside, even though he is only months away from free agency, Winderman posits. Whiteside and filler [such as Chris Andersen] could bring back Courtney Lee, Winderman speculates, while throwing in some more salary could be enough to land Jeff Green.

There’s more news out of Miami:

There is an increased feeling in the front office that trading Whiteside might be the best move for the franchise, Winderman writes in the same story, but he adds that Whiteside’s representatives aren’t expecting a deal.
Even before Whiteside made waves with his nationally televised ejection this week, Heat officials were having doubts about signing him long-term, according to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. Miami expects Whiteside’s next contract to start at $17MM or more, and there are questions within the organization about whether that’s a wise investment. Jackson cited two sources who say the team is considering a Whiteside trade.
A reunion with LeBron James in the All-Star Game — the first time they have been teammates since James left the Heat in 2014 — is bringing back memories for Dwyane Wade, writes Jason Lieser of The Palm Beach Post. Miami’s Big Three was almost completely back together, but Chris Bosh had to pull out of tonight’s game with a strained right calf. Wade said the roster upheaval in Miami has changed the atmosphere in the locker room. “We all can deal with each other’s success and failures and family things a lot differently than what we deal with now with younger teammates that grew up watching us play like fans,” he said. “It was cool playing with our peers, guys that we came into the league with. That’s a totally different relationship.”

Grizzlies Test Market For Jeff Green, Courtney Lee

January 29th, 2016 at 8:41am CST by Chuck Myron

The Grizzlies are gauging the trade market for soon-to-be free agents Jeff Green and Courtney Lee, reports Marc Stein of ESPN.com, who cautions that the team isn’t shopping them. Rather, they’re doing what they’re “supposed to do” with players on expiring deals and seeing what they could get in return before they have the chance to walk away in the summer, Stein writes. Still, it appears the team has more willingness to trade Green and Lee than fellow veterans Zach Randolph and Tony Allen, whom they have no interest in sending away, according to Stein.

The 29-year-old Green, who makes $9.45MM, doesn’t appear to be the most popular teammate in Memphis, where one prominent Grizzlies player “wanted to wring his neck” after a loss two weeks ago, expressing profound frustration with the combo forward, as Ronald Tillery of The Commercial Appeal reported. Green’s attitude hasn’t been stellar, either, according to Tillery. His play has left much to be desired, as his 11.4 points per game are his fewest since he posted 10.5 as a rookie in 2007/08. Coach Dave Joerger recently removed him from the starting lineup.

Memphis reportedly turned away entreaties from the Timberwolves about a swap of Lee for Kevin Martin, so it doesn’t appear that Lee will come cheaply. The 30-year-old who’s a career 38.2% 3-point shooter started the season in a troublesome slump from behind the arc, canning just 22.0% of his treys through November, but since then, he’s nailed 44.4% of them. He’s seeing a $5.675MM salary this year.

Complicating matters for the Grizzlies is that they’re only about $2MM shy of the luxury tax threshold. They sit fifth in the Western Conference at 27-20 following early-season questions about Joerger’s future. It’s not entirely clear what sort of offers they’d find most enticing in exchange for Green and Lee, though it doesn’t seem the club is ready for a tear-down.

What do you think the Grizzlies would be able to get for Green and Lee? Leave a comment to give your input.

Timberwolves Interested In Courtney Lee

January 7th, 2016 at 1:59pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Timberwolves have tried in vain to convince the Grizzlies to swap Courtney Lee for Kevin Martin, Sam Amick of USA Today reports (video link). Martin has his fans in the Memphis organization, according to Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities, but no indication exists that the Grizzlies will go for Minnesota’s proposal, Wolfson tweets. Grizzlies want to preserve their cap flexibility for the summer ahead, according to Amick, and while Lee is on an expiring contract, Martin has a player option worth close to $7.378MM for next season.

Minnesota made Martin available in trade talk last month, as Jon Krawczynski of The Associated Press reported, and Amick indicates that it’s unlikely that the veteran shooting guard finishes the season on the Timberwolves roster. The Kings are high on him, as Wolfson reported, but a deal has yet to materialize with the February 18th trade deadline set for six weeks from today. He played Tuesday for the first time after failing to appear in Minnesota’s previous seven games partly because of a wrist injury but primarily because the team wanted to give Zach LaVine a chance to play shooting guard.

Lee, like Martin, has seen statistical declines this season, with his normally reliable 3-point shooting dropping from last season’s 40.2% rate of accuracy to 31.9%. That’s a problem for the Grizzlies, who lack outside shooting, and Lee has been in and out of the starting lineup this year. Martin is nailing 37.7% of his 3-point looks this season, and his career numbers from behind the arc are about the same as Lee’s, but Martin will turn 33 on February 1st, while Lee just turned 30 in October.

A straight-up swap of Lee and Martin would also pose financial trouble for the Grizzlies. Martin makes $7.085MM this season, compared to Lee’s $5.675MM. Memphis is already only about $2MM shy of the $84.74MM luxury tax threshold.

Do you think the Grizzlies are wise to turn down this proposal? Leave a comment to share your thoughts.

Rockets Notes: Trade Targets, Bynum, Asik

February 14th, 2014 at 12:34pm CST by Chuck Myron

No NBA executive makes deadline trades as often as Rockets GM Daryl Morey does, so Houston figures to get involved in the fun on Thursday. Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle takes a broad look at the moves the Rockets have considered so far and the ones they might make in the next six days, and we’ll hit the highlights here:

Feigen hears the Rockets have been on the lookout for a backup wing player who’s a strong defender and can catch and shoot. That desire eclipsed the team’s pursuit of a power forward or a perimeter player who can create off the bounce. It’s not entirely clear from Feigen’s wording whether the team is currently seeking that sort of backup wing.
The Rockets had talks last month with Andrew Bynum before he signed with the Pacers, a source tells Feigen. Houston didn’t extend an offer, but Feigen isn’t sure whether that’s because the team didn’t think Bynum could contribute or whether it’s simply a reflection of the team’s intention to hold on to Omer Asik.
Morey says that he continues to focus on improving the club for the future, though he admits he’s putting a greater emphasis on helping the present incarnation of the team than at past trade deadlines, Feigen notes. The Chronicle scribe also points to concerns about the length of Courtney Lee‘s contract as the reason the Rockets passed on a December trade that would have sent Asik to Boston for Lee and Brandon Bass. That’s a signal of the team’s reluctance to add commitments beyond next season, Feigen concludes.

Western Notes: Lakers, Love, Shaw, Lee

January 25th, 2014 at 10:30pm CST by Jonathan Nehring

The Star Tribune transcribed TNT analyst Charles Barkley’s recent input on Inside the NBA regarding when Kobe Bryant should return from his injury. “It’s not going to matter, [the Lakers] are going to stink with him or without him, it really doesn’t make a difference. They are not a good team, they are not going to be a good team. If he is thinking about the future and he wants to win another championship, they should try to get a great draft pick. He should get healthy for the rest of the season. I think he will make a big mistake coming back.”

Some other notes around the Western Conference.

With the Lakers losing 15 of their last 18 games, it came as a bit of a surprise to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin when Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak expressed “unbridled optimism” regarding his current roster. Kupchak thinks it is possible for the Lakers to be fun to watch if “they play hard and compete” but McMenamin disagrees and details why there is “no joy in Laker land these days”. McMenamin thinks it is time the Lakers realize their limitations and make personnel changes instead of sending their players out to continue to promise change in play soon.
Another team being urged to realize their limitations is the Timberwolves. Jim Souhan of the Star Tribune takes a critical look at what Kevin Love has brought to Minnesota. Love has achieved much individually while on the Wolves, but Souhan points out the team has never won more than 31 games since Love has arrived. Love isn’t all to blame, according to Souhan. Front office moves, aside from trading for Love on draft night, have been less than stellar. However, Souhan wonders when the Wolves front office will decide if Love is a player Minnesota can win with, as a team. They already know they can’t win without him, but Love needs to prove “he can carry a flawed team” soon.
If it weren’t for Pacers coach Frank Vogel returning a favor, the Nuggets may not have Brian Shaw as current head coach. According to Aaron Lopez of Nuggets.com, after changes to the 76ers coaching staff, Vogel was without a job and Shaw encouraged the Lakers to hire Vogel as a scout. Six years later, Vogel intercepted Shaw en route to interview for an analyst job and convinced Shaw he was more coach than analyst. Shaw never completed his trip to interview with ESPN, and after two seasons in Indiana was hired by the Nuggets as their head coach.
Rockets head coach Kevin McHale told Jenny Creech of the Houston Chronicle he is happy with how recently traded guard Courtney Lee is fitting in with the Grizzlies. Lee has averaged 15.3 PPG in the nine games he has played for Memphis since being sent there from the Celtics in a three team deal earlier this month. McHale praised Lee as one of his favorite players who will play better as his role becomes more defined. According to McHale, Lee “will fit in nice” with the role Memphis has placed him in since arriving. Lee played one season under McHale on the Rockets.

Odds & Ends: Love, Spurs, Lee, Thunder

January 13th, 2014 at 10:16pm CST by Zachary Links

With the Wolves struggling and Kevin Love‘s frustration level rising, clubs are likely salivating at the chance to land him via trade. However, Sam Smith of NBA.com hears that Love, a free agent in the summer of 2015, favors the Knicks and Lakers. In Smith’s mind, there really isn’t a point to trading for the forward if he isn’t willing to extend his deal or re-sign with your club. More from around the Association..

The Spurs announced that Danny Green will miss about four weeks with a broken left hand, but the team isn’t likely to sign a replacement, tweets Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News.
Michael Cohen of the Commercial Appeal chatted with new Grizzlies guard Courtney Lee and those who helped shape his game. “He’s a system guy. He’s not Paul George. He’s not this alpha male-type player. You put him in a specific role on a good team with good players, and that’s where he’s really strong. That’s what we see in him here,” said Stu Lash, Grizzlies director of player personnel and basketball development.
Thunder GM Sam Presti told a local sports radio station that while he’ll do his “due diligence” on the trade market, he’s happy with where the team is currently, tweets Anthony Slater of The Oklahoman.
Jerryd Bayless can do more for the Celtics than just help their finances, writes ESPNBoston.com’s Chris Forsberg.

Western Notes: Gasol Trade Options, Lee, Miller

January 11th, 2014 at 10:53pm CST by Jonathan Nehring

As the trade deadline approaches Ben Bolch of the Los Angeles Times thinks the Lakers should trade Pau Gasol while they can still get something in return for him. Gasol in the last year of his contract and the Lakers with little financial flexibility after extending Kobe Bryant seem to be parting ways after the season according to Bolch. Bolch suggests a few trades the Lakers should look into. First, the Nets to see if they can acquire injured Brook Lopez for Gasol. Next, the Grizzlies to pair Pau with his younger brother Marc Gasol in exchange for Zach Randolph. If neither are interested, Bolch suggests contacting the Rockets for Omer Asik. Finally, Bolch states the Hawks have coveted Gasol for some time and he thinks they may be willing to part with Paul Millsap in order to fill the gap created by an injured Al Horford. If all else fails, Bolch prompts the Lakers to at least get draft picks for Gasol and avoid “a bleak future”.

A few other notes around the Western Conference.

Although Andre Miller is one year removed from being called one of George Karl’s all-time favorite players, Steve Luhm of The Salt Lake Tribune believes we have seen the last of Miller in a Nuggets jersey. With a new coach in town and the Nuggets resurgence since Miller’s departure, Luhm thinks it is inevitable Miller’s absence will soon become permanent.
Courtney Lee didn’t need to prove anything to the Grizzlies front office for them to want to trade for him says Michael Cohen of The Commercial Appeal. Lee had already done that five years prior when training for the draft with his former agent Jason Levien and his former development coach Stu Lash. Levien, now the CEO of the Grizzlies, and Lash, now the Grizzlies director of player personnel and basketball development, both admired Lee’s hard work ethic and defensive prowess when they represented him five years ago, prompting them to bring him to Memphis.
While no one hopes for injuries, they have proven beneficial to Jodie Meeks‘ playing time and wallet. Eric Pincus of The Los Angeles Times writes that Meeks is halfway to hitting bonus incentives in his contract that will pay him $200K. Meeks has playing time bonuses that are triggered for averaging both 20 minutes and 25 minutes a game. With Lakers players down with injury, Meeks has been averaging 31.6 MPG so far this season.
Not every wise transaction has to involve athletes, as John Canzano of The Oregonian points out. Canzano inspects the transactions Trail Blazers owner Paul Allen has made regarding GM Neil Olshey, president Chris McGowan, and head coach Terry Stotts. In fact, Canzano predicts Allen will extend Stotts’ head coaching contract before the All-Star Game. Stotts contract has a team option for next year but nothing beyond that.

Grizzlies Acquire Lee In Three-Team Trade

January 7th, 2014 at 10:21am CST by Zachary Links

10:21am: The trade is now official, according to press releases from the Celtics and Thunder. OKC’s release notes that the Thunder will also receive the Sixers’ 2014 second-rounder from the Grizzlies in the deal. However, that pick is heavily protected and will only be conveyed if it falls between 51 and 55. The Thunder also sent cash considerations to the C’s in the move.

TUESDAY, 10:10am: In addition to landing Lee, the Grizzlies will receive a 2016 second-round pick from the Celtics, according to Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal (Twitter link). The C’s will acquire Bayless and Gomes, while the Thunder will receive a conditional 2017 second-rounder from the Grizzlies, says Tillery. The deal is expected to be finalized today to give Boston the chance to waive Gomes before 4:00pm central time.

MONDAY, 7:32pm: Marc Stein of ESPN.com (on Twitter) hears that the Thunder will get involved in the deal with Ryan Gomes heading from Oklahoma City to Boston. This would allow OKC to get some wiggle room with regards to the luxury tax line and possibly set up another deal. The C’s, meanwhile, are expected to waive Gomes.

Stein adds (on Twitter) that there should be some second-round picks involved as well.

7:48am: The two sides have reached an agreement, according to Stein. It doesn’t sound like the trade will involve any additional pieces besides Bayless and Lee, which is a bit of a surprise. I wouldn’t have expected the Celtics to be able to move Lee for an expiring contract, since it was less than three weeks ago that a report suggested a lack of leaguewide interest in him. In any case, it appears as if the Grizzlies and C’s will finalize the deal at some point today.

SUNDAY, 4:29pm: The Celtics are in advanced discussions on a deal to acquire Jerryd Bayless from the Grizzlies, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com. The swap would involve Boston guard Courtney Lee.

In late December, the Grizzlies reportedly offered Bayless to the Lakers in return for Jodie Meeks. Memphis came into this season with high hopes, but their 15-18 start apparently has them wanting to make big changes. Bayless, 25, has averaged 8.0 PPG and 2.0 APG, numbers that are his lowest since his rookie year.

Lee was a client of Grizzlies CEO Jason Levien and front office exec Stu Lash when they were agents. The guard has already seen his name on Hoops Rumors quite a bit this season as he was linked to a proposed deal that would have sent him and Brandon Bass to Houston for Omer Asik. Of course, those talks fizzled. Swapping Bayless for Lee also figures to please Grizzlies exec John Hollinger as Lee boasts a career-best PER of 15.3 this season compared to Bayless’ 11.2, his worst total since 2008/09.

Lee, who appears headed to the fifth team of his professional career, finds himself stuck behind Avery Bradley in the rotation and only figures to see his role shrink further when Rajon Rondo comes back to action. While his efficiency rating has been strong, it’s happening off of a career-low 16.8 minutes per game.

Bayless is in his walk year and is earning just $3.135MM while Lee makes $5.23MM this year, $5.45 next year, and $5.675MM in his final year. It’s possible that Boston will include a draft pick in the trade if they’re getting another expiring contract or a solid talent along with Bayless in the swap since the Grizzlies are taking on a three-year deal in Lee. The Grizzlies are close to the luxury tax threshold and the Celtics are even closer, so that should play a factor in the proposed deal.

Assuming no trade exceptions are used in the swap, Memphis would have to add at least one more player for the salaries to match up, so the deal may expand beyond Bayless and Lee. However, Boston has a TPE from the Paul Pierce trade while the Grizzlies have one from the Rudy Gay swap, so it’s possible for the teams to make the move without including additional players.

Atlantic Notes: Lee, Celtics, Lopez, Nets

December 21st, 2013 at 12:30pm CST by Zachary Links

Last night in Philadelphia, the Sixers stopped a seven-game losing streak with a 121-120 overtime win over the Nets. “We needed to get that win for the sanity of the group, keeping our group together, holding hope,” coach Brett Brown said after Evan Turner‘s game winner, “and for those reasons as that ball is hanging on a rim and then decides to fall in, for us, given where we are, that is an important win.” Here’s more out of Atlantic..

A rumored deal would had the Celtics sending Courtney Lee and Brandon Bass along with a first-round pick to Houston for Omer Asik, but Lee says the rumors were never serious enough to warrant a call from his agent, writes the Boston Globe’s Julian Benbow. “I haven’t even had a conversation with my agent,” Lee said. “He called me before and said he hasn’t heard anything and neither [general manager] called him, so don’t worry about it, and that’s what I did.”
Brook Lopez fractures the fifth metatarsal in his right foot, according to Roderick Boone of Newsday (on Twitter). Earlier today, we learned that the Stanford product will be out for the year with the injury.
Looking back on things, Jordan Crawford says that the trade sending him to the Celtics “had to happen” but admits that he could have been more professional during his tenure in Washington, writes Michael Lee of the Washington Post.