Stein: Celtics Serious Suitors for Courtney Lee

[ThaPreacher]

Would love to see the Celtics sign Courtney Lee.

My question is: how?

Celtics trade:  Dooling ($2.5m S&T), Williams ($0.9m), Moore ($0.8m) = $4.2m, $3m cash

Something like that would allow us to give Lee a salary starting around $5.35 million.  From Houston's perspective, they'd be getting Dooling for free, plus would have an extra $500k.  They could keep Williams and/or Moore, or cut their non-guaranteed deals.

I'd be very happy to get Courtney Lee if that sort of deal could be worked out.

I certainly would prefer Courney Lee over Courtney Cox.  Lee shoots better and is a team player.

[Evantime34]

I think he's a better fit for us than OJ Mayo, plays better defense and is probably better on the break.

[Smokeeye123]

A healthy Green and Lee would mean PP would FINALLY get some actual rest.

[Smitty77]

Jeff Green and Courtney Lee are very different three point shooters.  Jeff is a lifetime 33.7% long range shooter and Lee is a 38.6% lifetime shooter from distance and a over 40% shooter is you remove his year in NJ.

That is significantly higher IMHO!

Smitty77

[Who]

There were reports saying Houston was happy to trade Camby for an expiring contract and draft pick(s). I imagine the same is true for Courtney Lee since he doesn't appear to be in their long term plans.

[TheBigTicket23]

He is a pretty good shooter. Can someone tell me about his defense? I'm hearing here he is a pretty good defender? Got long arms? Is he known as a defender?

I haven't seen that much of him to have a good argue.

[Who]

He is a pretty good shooter. Can someone tell me about his defense? I'm hearing here he is a pretty good defender? Got long arms? Is he known as a defender?

I haven't seen that much of him to have a good argue.

An above average defender but not an elite one.

He doesn't have the size/bulk to defend big two guards at a high level. Other than that, he is very good defensively.

[TheBigTicket23]

He is a pretty good shooter. Can someone tell me about his defense? I'm hearing here he is a pretty good defender? Got long arms? Is he known as a defender?

I haven't seen that much of him to have a good argue.

An above average defender but not an elite one.

He doesn't have the size/bulk to defend big two guards at a high level. Other than that, he is very good defensively.

TP! Thanks for the info, makes sense, bit what I thought when I see him play.

[cdiraimo]

Sign and trade steams... they need a center after the dalembert trade and camby goin to knucks or heat

[j804]

I'm sure Doc is selling him on come play with Rondo look good and you'll get rewarded for it, we were the 3rd best team last year arguably second etc

I'd love Lee but who would we get rid of for things to match up?

[dark_lord]

I'd rather have Pietrus, but ok.

I would too as long as his head is in the game. That's the problem, it usually is not in the game. Lee seems like a gamer.

i dont think pietrus' inconsistency had little to do with anything mental and had everything to do with injuries throughout the season (and prior off season surgery)

[wahz]

I think he's a better fit for us than OJ Mayo, plays better defense and is probably better on the break.

I think he is a better fit than Mayo also. Maybe Im wrong about Mayo but he feels too expensive and Lee is a better shooter. I also feel Mayo isn't getting better

[KGs Knee]

Would love to see the Celtics sign Courtney Lee.

My question is: how?

Celtics trade:  Dooling ($2.5m S&T), Williams ($0.9m), Moore ($0.8m) = $4.2m, $3m cash

Something like that would allow us to give Lee a salary starting around $5.35 million.  From Houston's perspective, they'd be getting Dooling for free, plus would have an extra $500k.  They could keep Williams and/or Moore, or cut their non-guaranteed deals.

Depending on the timing of player signings (i.e. players such as KG, Green, Bass, Terry) we could actually take on as much as 6.7m using Dooling, Williams & Moore.

Cap holds don't count against the luxury tax calculation for the purposes of trades.  So, if we wait to sign the players mentioned, and were still under the tax threshold ($70m approx.), we could take on 150%+1k of outgoing salary.

Dooling last was paid $2.25m, so he could be singed for $2.7m.  That amount added to the $1.7m combined for Williams and Moore would equal $4.4m.  Multiply that by the 150%+1k and you get $6.7m.

If we took on $6.7m 1st, and then signed all the rest of our players we'd be at a total of approx. $71m for 12 players.  We'd still be likely able to afford to use the BAE as well, although it'd be precariously close.

[masteremile123]

Isn't this the guy who destroyed us in the orlando series in 09 ? I want him

[Lucky17]

If we trade Dooling, what backup PG would be available for the veteran minimum?

I also am loath to give away Dooling given the positive impact he had on Rondo during the course of last season.

I'm not saying Dooling is indispensable, just saying perhaps there are other forms of salary filler (Pavlovic? Marquis?) that might be more easily given up.