Courtney Lee arrived a week and a half ago at the Knicks’ Tarrytown training center for voluntary workouts, gearing up for Monday’s start of training camp. The Knicks guard just doesn’t know how long he’ll be there.
According to an NBA source, Lee’s preference if he gets traded is to be dealt to a playoff team or a contender. It’s an understandable wish formulated during an offseason spent in Orlando and Los Angeles as he saw the Knicks franchise’s youthful direction.
The Knicks are trying to trade Lee because of his age (32) and long-term contract. The Knicks want to ship Lee to open up more cap space for 2019. Lee has $12.2 million remaining on his deal for 2018-2019 and $12.7 in 2019-2020.
When Lee signed a four-year, $50 million deal in the summer of 2016, it was to join the win-now Knicks. “Winning now’’ is hardly the objective this season. Plus, the Knicks’ shooting-guard position is overloaded, with Tim Hardaway Jr. the starter and Frank Ntilikina also earmarked for duty there.
Youngsters Damyean Dotson, two-way rookie Allonzo Trier and Ron Baker also play shooting guard, and coach David Fizdale has said he wants to use rookie Kevin Knox there in spots.
As has been reported, the Knicks have shopped Lee this offseason. The Sixers had offered Lee a deal in 2016 but he turned it down, convinced, ironically, by Joakim Noah, who is in his last days as a Knick. The Sixers reportedly still have some interest.
Steve Mills, then Phil Jackson’s sidekick, pushed for the Lee signing as the club tried to capitalize on the last year of Carmelo Anthony’s prime.
If Minnesota All-Star shooting guard Jimmy Butler goes on the block, the Knicks could offer Lee as part of a package. Lee is an underrated two-way veteran whom Wolves coach/president Tom Thibodeau might enjoy coaching, especially as Lee comes off a career year.
Butler was to meet with Thibodeau on Tuesday to discuss his future, as he reportedly isn’t getting along with the Wolves’ foundational young studs, Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins.
At the Garden fanfest Monday, Mills said the Knicks will not give away prime young assets to land a free-agent-to-be, feeling they can sign that player next summer. That makes the Knicks a big long shot for Butler. The Wolves would probably need a first-round pick and Lee for Butler. Whether the Wolves could be more interested in Hardaway is unclear since Thibodeau cares most about defense.
Lee is coming off a strong campaign when he averaged a personal-best 12.0 points and shot 40.6 percent from the 3-point stripe. Lee played alongside Hardaway in an undersized 2-3 pairing.
Lee and Lance Thomas were co-captains last season, but Fizdale didn’t mention Lee as a potential leader Monday. Fizdale said the club will vote for new captains, but called Thomas “a natural” leader.
Lee was also slighted in August, when a Knicks Instagram post dubbed “Future of New York,” featured a montage of Kristaps Porzingis, Knox, Mitchell Robinson, Enes Kanter, Hardaway, Ntilikina, Thomas, Emmanuel Mudiay and Trey Burke.
Lee responded on social media with “there I go,” sprinkling in a crying/laughing emoji. If Lee gets dealt to a playoff team, he’ll probably only be laughing. For now, Lee will make the best of an awkward situation.