The Sixers are thin at the two-spot, and they are reportedly interested in a veteran shooting guard in free agency.
According to Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders, the Sixers are among the teams interested in Courtney Lee.
There reportedly are several teams pursuing Lee. The Knicks offered him a four-year deal worth over $40 million, according to Ian Begley of ESPN.com. Given the enormity of recent contracts, slightly over $10 million per season is affordable. For context, the Sixers agreed to sign point guard Jerryd Bayless to three years, $27 million total.
Lee is coming off a strong stint with the Hornets after being traded by the Grizzlies mid-season. He averaged 8.9 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 28 games (all starts) over 30.2 minutes for the Hornets. Lee shot 44.5 percent from the field and 39.2 percent from three.
During the playoffs, Lee posted 8.6 points while shooting 41.2 percent from the floor and 44.4 percent from long range. He added 2.9 boards and 1.9 assists in 36.7 minutes per game.
Lee, who is entering his ninth season, would be a proven offensive contributor for the Sixers. While he can knock down shots from distance, he can also get to the basket. Last season Lee shot 58.1 percent at the rim.
Lee also has postseason experience and has been to the playoffs in five seasons. Adding players who have competed beyond April is important to the young Sixers' team.
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The Sixers currently have Nik Stauskas and Hollis Thompson (who actually started more games at small forward) under contract at the two-spot. This year’s 26th pick Furkan Korkmaz is a shooting guard, but it is uncertain if he will remain in Europe next season. They addressed their vacancy for a starting point guard in Bayless, and still need to bolster their backcourt with shooters.
Lee will turn 31 in October. He also has played for the Magic, Nets, Rockets and Celtics over his career.
