David Lee
Golden State Warriors forward David Lee (10) controls the ball against the defense of Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) in the first half in game five of the NBA Finals, June 14, 2015. REUTERS/Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

The Golden State Warriors have traded David Lee to the Boston Celtics in exchange for forward Gerald Wallace. Marc Stein of ESPN first reported the Golden State-Boston trade online.

The Warriors, fresh off their victory in the 2015 NBA championship, had a limited role for Lee during the latter’s stint in Golden State. The 10-year veteran played in just 49 games last season, averaging 7.9 points and 5.2 rebounds—both career-lows for Lee since his rookie season in the league.

During his prime and before injuries, Lee was considered one of the better big men in the NBA. He averaged a double-double of 20.2 points and 11.7 rebounds for the New York Knicks during the 2009-2010 season.

Wallace is a 14-year veteran who had past stints with the Sacramento Kings, Charlotte Bobcats (now Hornets), Portland Trail Blazers, Brooklyn Nets and Celtics. He played in only 32 games for Boston last season.

Both Lee ($15.5M) and Wallace ($10.1M) have expiring contracts for the 2015-2016 season.

With Boston, Lee will be the oldest player in the roster and is expected to provide help on offense as well as veteran leadership for the young Celtics, which include big men Kelly Olynyk, Jared Sullinger, Tyler Zeller and Jae Crowder.

Wallace, who is a versatile forward that can play both three and four spots, can potentially be the key cog in the Warriors’ system, which is known to play small ball line-ups during the season.

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