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Toronto Raptors: Examining Toronto’s buyout market options

By Jeff Borsuk

OAKLAND, CA - JUNE 6: President of Basketball Operations Masai Ujiri and General Manager Bobby Webster of the Toronto Raptors speak to ESPN writer Zach Lowe during practice as part of the 2019 NBA Finals on June 6, 2019 at ORACLE Arena in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images)
OAKLAND, CA - JUNE 6: President of Basketball Operations Masai Ujiri and General Manager Bobby Webster of the Toronto Raptors speak to ESPN writer Zach Lowe during practice as part of the 2019 NBA Finals on June 6, 2019 at ORACLE Arena in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Toronto Raptors
Toronto Raptors potential target – Courtney Lee (Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Courtney Lee

At age 34, Courtney Lee is no longer the highly efficient guard that basketball fans remember. He has been limited to playing slightly more than garbage time minutes since being traded from the New York Knicks to the Dallas Mavericks. With the Mavs, Lee could be found right at the end of the bench. There’s no reason to believe that this wouldn’t be the same use for him with the Raptors. There’s no magic left in his game, but he still can pick and pop at the best of times.

While many might consider signing Lee a disappointment, he could be used as insurance for an injury and another veteran voice inside the locker room. Though the Raps have a plethora of strong leaders, bringing in another can do nothing but help keep his teammates focus when things get difficult.

Even though Lee has been limited to just 9.7 minutes per contest, he has managed to take 1.8 attempts from beyond the arc per game and made an impressive 56.5 percent of them. This is in great contrast to his career average of 38.8 percent from beyond the arc.

If the Mavericks don’t cut ties with Lee, they will be stuck paying him the remainder of the $12,759,670 he’s owed this season. It’s the final year of a four-year, $48,003,340 contract that was given to Lee by the Knicks, the league’s leading supplier of head-scratching deals. Even though they are headed to the playoffs themselves, it would make sense for the Mavs to save a few dollars and cut ties with Lee before the buyout market closes.

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