Lee Will Have Major Value at Deadline

Let’s take a look into the future for a moment since the present is such a downer. . .

If the Knicks continue to struggle the way they have, but David Lee continues to post sparkling individual statistics, his trade value come February is going to be really significant.

Personally, I don’t think Lee is in the Knicks’ long-term plans. Re-signing him this off-season was all about fielding a respectable team this year (ha!) and avoiding the publicity that would have accompanied losing a big asset for nothing the summer before “the summer”.  If that is in fact the case, then the Knicks will surely look to shop Lee at the deadline for cap relief or a significant asset.

No matter how badly the Knicks struggle, Lee is going to look extremely attractive to lower-seeded playoff teams that are looking for help inside. It’s easy to imagine teams like the Rockets, Bulls, Bucks, Pistons, and Thunder becoming interested in Lee if they manage to stay in the race.

It’s true that Lee signed a 1-year-deal this past off-season so the Knicks can’t trade him unless he agrees.  But if the Knicks give him the chance to get out of Dodge, I think he’ll be motivated to agree to a deal at the deadline. This is obviously a big year for Lee and so far he’s making the most of it by putting up some pretty numbers. But for free agent suitors the lingering question about Lee has to be whether or not he’s a winning player. And that’s just not a question he can answer in New York. However, if Lee were to make a big contribution for a few months to a team playing meaningful games in May and June, that could cause his value to skyrocket this summer. You can bet that Lee and his agent know this.

Lee may be the one real bullet Walsh has in his gun prior to this summer. Here’s hoping he makes it count.