David Lee’s fifth season as a Knick -- a franchise where he was far-and-away their best player this past campaign -- comes to an end Wednesday. He will get a huge ovation from the Knicks faithful, who appreciate hustle and grit. And then...
The waiting is the hardest part. Tom Petty taught us that.
Lee is going to spend a lot of his summer waiting on the phone to ring. He will be joined by a lot of other free agents. A lot of teams will have interest in the unrestricted free agent, including the Knicks. But Lee is in the second tier of free agents, which means that until the LeBrons and Wades and Boshs of the world find a home, players like Lee will find some teams nibbling but nobody taking a bite. He knows that, he told the NY Times.
The vibe may be LeBron staying in Cleveland, and Wade probably will not leave warm Miami for frigid Chicago, but they will drag out the decisions. There will be wooing, speculation, rumors, plenty of BS and more that will drag on into the summer. Guaranteed.
Meanwhile Lee -- and a number of other quality free agents -- will have to sit and wait. Teams who think they have a shot at landing an ace (or for the Knicks, a pair of aces) will not settle for “just” a face card.
Waiting is something Lee should have practice at -- remember that last year he waited until September before he and the Knicks could agree on a one-year deal. These negotiations may not drag out that long, but Lee may not want to put off his vacation until they are done. If he wants to take one before training camp.
