Official: Lee Traded to Hornets

[SD2042]

http://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/240824/Hornets-Acquire-Courtney-Lee-From-Grizzlies-In-Three-Way-Deal-With-Heat


In return for Lee, the Grizzlies get back SG P.J. Hairston, Brian Roberts, and 2 future second round picks.

Roberts in turn gets traded to Miami for Chris "Birdman" Anderson and 2 future second round picks


Sounds like rebuilding plans are in action. More moves to come is likely.

[HornetJail]

I think you guys did pretty well, getting four 2nd round picks (including a BRK pick!), a cheap prospect, and a stopgap center all for an expiring contract.

As someone who saw him play (using that word loosely) for the last 18 months, I'll give a little run-down of PJ:

his best quality is his defense... but he's merely decent. He can stay in front of most players, and was alright on that end in MKG's first absence. He was always starting on the best opposing wing to allow Nic a breather on that end. Some nights he'd get obliterated, other nights he'd be able to keep guys like Wade and Korver in check. He's not a lockdown defender, and he's a complete foul magnet, but if you want 10-15 minutes of somebody who can run around and keep an opposing player from scoring a ton, he'll get the job done. He's strong, fairly quick, and is tenacious.

Scoring is what he was drafted to do, and quite frankly, he is absolutely terrible at it. In his career, he attempts a three every 4.9 minutes he's on the floor. His 30.7% shooting from deep is bolstered massively by a very hot stretch in mid-December, and is basically a mid 20s shooter from deep most of the time. He can get hot on occasion, and only then does he become a positive on that end. The rest of his offensive game isn't anything to write home about.

We declined his third year team option (and there were strong hints that the decision was due to his off-court antics rather than his on-court play) so he does expire at season's end. Maybe he just needs a change of scenery (i.e. getting away from UNC) but he's a semi-talented player without much IQ on or off the court. The real prize in this trade is that Brooklyn 2nd rounder.

Hope he works out for you guys- I have a soft spot for most of the players that come through here and are traded away, and PJ wasn't bad enough to take that feeling away from me. He got hot enough times to keep a little hope alive that he could turn into a good player in a small role.

--

What can you tell Hornets about Courtney Lee?

[I Am Awesome-O]

CLee was very well liked in Memphis. Good shooter, good defender, plays hard. Not a playmaker, struggles with shooting consistency, and at times he can be painfully trigger-shy/pump fake-happy.

Gonna miss him. Y'all got a nice player - a big upgrade over Hairston.

[ferk]

like this deal , maybe those 2nds will end up coming in useful in another deal , even if we keep them they could be really nice one day since we owe 2 1st.

not srue about hairston but i liked him on draft day but dude has issue , birdman is alright with marc being injured .

[HornetJail]

so should we expect lineups with Al Jefferson, Frank Kaminsky, and Courtney Lee where they have possessions with nothing but pump fakes?

[SD2042]

so should we expect lineups with Al Jefferson, Frank Kaminsky, and Courtney Lee where they have possessions with nothing but pump fakes?

Haven't seen AlJeff played in so long, I don't know what he actually does in terms of play outside of his general routines. Everytime I hear the name Kaminsky, I always think it's the name of a FBI agent. Could make a good nickname for him if he gets his game on point. As for CLee here's the deal. Defensively Is where he makes his bread and butter. He's not full-fledge aggressive like Tony Allen, but he's effective. Offensively is where he may frustrate you. Sometime he will get u between 10 to 14 pts one game. The next game he may be lucky to get 5 or 7pts. For a player who doesn't take that many shots to be effective, he tends to go through his valleys and may disappear from the offense depending on the matchup. If he has a high priority on defense, his offense might take a backseat. If his defensive load is light, it would be in Charlotte's interest to keep him involve in the game at times just o have an extra weapon to put a team away.

[Eoghan]

I hope PJ figures it out in Memphis.