Report: David Lee Among Veterans Likely To Be Bought Out If Not Traded

The writing has been on the wall for a while now, but it appears David Lee isn’t in the Boston Celtics’ future plans.

The veteran forward is one of several NBA players who “almost assuredly” will get bought out by their clubs if not moved before the NBA’s Feb. 18 trade deadline, league sources told Yahoo’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Also on that list are Denver Nuggets forward J.J. Hickson and Brooklyn Nets big man Andrea Bargnani.

This news should come as little surprise, as it’s been rumored for some time that the Celtics are looking to part ways with Lee. The 32-year-old is in the final year of a six-year, $79.5 million contract he signed in 2010 with the Golden State Warriors and hasn’t played in a game for Boston since Jan. 10.

As expected for a guy who isn’t seeing the floor, Lee and his agent reportedly are on the same page with president of basketball operations Danny Ainge about moving on from the Celtics. While Lee hasn’t contributed much this season, his expiring contract is yet another asset Ainge could use as a piece in a deadline deal.

Boston has been tied to rumors about a few big-name forwards, including Atlanta Hawks big man Al Horford and the Cleveland Cavaliers’ Kevin Love. A deal for any forward would require the C’s to thin out an already crowded frontcourt, and it looks like Lee would be the first to go.