Courtney Lee Wants to Play for the Boston Celtics

If the money situation can be worked out, 26-year old free agent guard Courtney Lee’s preference would be to wear Celtic green and white next season. From the Boston Globe: “Free agent guard Courtney Lee lives in Orlando and was one of the few current NBA players hanging out at the opener of the Orlando Summer League Monday at Amway Center. Lee has met with Celtics coach Doc Rivers, who has expressed interest in having Lee come to Boston to help replace Ray Allen. Lee said the interest is mutual, and his signing with the team is a matter of coming to an agreeable contract. The Celtics do not have the salary-cap space to sign Lee for what he is worth, so the next-best option is a sign-and-trade with the Rockets, the team that just pulled Lee’s qualifying offer, making him an unrestricted free agent. Lee, who averaged 11.4 points per game last season in Houston, said he would like to get something done with the Celtics. ‘Me and Doc, we’ve always had a relationship since I’ve been in the NBA,’ he said. ‘I’m a friend of both of his kids, Austin and Jeremiah. We work out together, always see each other. Me and Doc always speak. There’s interest there, but there was no verbal agreement or anything, just hearing each other out. He expressed his interest. I expressed my interest. It’s not basketball-wise that needs to be discussed, it’s the front office and my agent that needs to communicate and go from there.’ When asked his most important priority, Lee said: ‘I want to win. I got a taste of the playoffs and going all the way to the Finals my rookie year [with Orlando in 2009]. I want to get back there. Boston, everybody knows their record and what they’ve accomplished over the years especially with Doc and having KG [Kevin Garnett] and Paul [Pierce], [Rajon] Rondo’s still there. So that’s a team I feel will win and continue to win. That’s one factor in the decision.'”