Golden State’s David Lee Traded to Celtics

David Lee wanted to help turn around the Golden State Warriors when he came to the struggling franchise as a high-priced free agent in 2010.

Five years later, Lee is leaving with a championship - and the
respect of his teammates and loyal fans.

The Warriors agreed to trade the former All-Star forward to the
Boston Celtics for Gerald Wallace on Tuesday, a person with
knowledge of the deal said. The person spoke to The Associated
Press on condition of anonymity because the trade can't become
official until the moratorium on NBA business ends Thursday.

Lee injured his left hamstring in the final preseason game and his
role diminished with the emergence of Draymond Green, the runner-up
for defensive player of the year. The NBA champion Warriors have
been looking to trade Lee this summer to limit the team's luxury
tax hit next season.

It became a near-certainty the Warriors would move Lee after agreeing to a five-year contract worth about $82 million with Green last week.

Lee is due about $15.4 million in the final year of his contract.
Wallace is owed about $10 million next season.

But because Wallace's contract was signed after the most recent
collective bargaining agreement, the Warriors can use the stretch
provision and it will only cost the team about $3.3 million over
the next three seasons - a huge tax savings.

Lee was the highest-paid player on the Warriors last season at
about $15 million. He was someone the roster was built around after
he was acquired in a sign-and-trade deal with the New York Knicks
in July 2010, and Lee led the way his first few years with Golden
State alongside newly minted MVP Stephen Curry.

The 32-year-old Lee is averaging 14.7 points, 9.5 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game in 10 seasons.

Whether there's a role for Wallace on the Warriors is uncertain.
The 6-foot-7 forward, who was an All-Star in 2010 with Charlotte,
played sparingly for the Celtics last season - his 14th in the NBA
since Sacramento selected him 25th overall in the 2001 draft.

Wallace averaged 1.1 points and 8.9 minutes in 32 games - both were
career lows, as were his totals for the season of 11 assists, 57
rebounds and 286 minutes.  (Associated Press)