One More Move

Those of you who have kept up with SmokingPistons know that I was a big proponent of the Pistons going after free-agent center David Lee well before the free agency period began. Lee led the league in double-doubles last season, is a tireless worker, and a good teammate. Now he will be playing with a massive chip on his shoulder.

Lee entered the offseason with the proper understanding that he was among the elite players available. However, his “restricted” status (meaning the Knicks have a week to decide whether or not to match any outside offer for Lee) hindered him substantially. Those teams with available cap space, including Detroit, spent their money on unrestricted free agents without hesitation and now players like Lee, Raymond Felton, and Ramon Sessions remain unsigned.

Lee has a lot to offer to any team that can make a decent offer.

The Knicks are not offering Lee much more than the qualifying offer ($2.7 million for one season) that they had to propose in order to keep his restricted rights. They certainly don’t want to sign him for more than one season. As a result, Lee and his agent, Mark Bartelstein, are threatening to holdout into training camp or until they can field an offer worthy of Lee’s talents.

Could the Pistons still get involved?

Sure they could. The luxury tax for this season is set at $69.9 million dollars. Currently, the Pistons have $63.2 million committed to 13 players (and their buyout of Fabricio Oberto). Their weakest position is either center or point guard, and I think they need to use their available space under the luxury tax to sign a player at one of those positions if they are serious about competing for the playoffs this season. Given that they have a starting caliber point guard, it would make the most sense to lock up a starting center.

Would Lee take $6 million for one season? Probably not, but if you structured pay increases into the length of the deal, he would have to seriously consider it. Next season, the team has $10 million coming off the books. Paying Lee $9 million next season and $12 million the season following that would give him a three-year, $27-million contract – one that he would certainly sign today.

I think Dumars has to consider this. The team desperately lacks rebounding right now and Lee had the second most boards in the league last season (951 total or 11.7 per game). His presence would help to make up for some of Charlie Villanueva’s deficiencies and would afford the team to put Kwame Brown deep on the bench where he belongs.

Regardless of who is coaching the team, a ten-man rotation of Stuckey-Hamilton-Prince-Villanueva-Lee-Gordon-Maxiell-Daye-Wallace-Bynum is fit for the playoffs – without a doubt.

Tags: David Lee, Mark Bartelstein