The Golden State Warriors' victory party wrapped up at 5 a.m. ET Wednesday in a Cleveland restaurant, according to Sports Illustrated's Lee Jenkins.
That didn't give them much time to get around to business in the morning, but the team will work with David Lee and agent Mark Bartelstein to trade the former All-Star power forward, according to ESPN's Marc Stein.
Of course, the decision to move Lee was not made overnight. Lee himself conceded before the NBA Finals started that the Warriors would attempt to move him.
"I'm sure that for the money (the Warriors are) paying they would love for me to be playing 40 minutes," Lee said. "I realize the money I make next year and I realize that they're going to try to pay guys like Draymond (Green)."
Paying the restricted free agent Green will be the Warriors' top priority this summer, and there's simply no longer room for the $15.5 million Lee is owed next season. Almost comically, the big man was the Dubs' highest-paid player this season, but the revolutionary defensive approach the team took had him on the outside of the rotation looking in for much of the season.
In a testament to the Warriors' bond as a team, however, neither Lee - or Andrew Bogut, when benched in the finals - complained about the situation. Instead, both contributed when needed.
"The most important thing ... is getting this ring first and then worrying about (trades) later," Lee said prior to the finals.
While more of a prototypical offensive power forward, Lee - who just turned 32 - could still contribute in the right environment. He averaged 7.9 points and 5.2 rebounds in 18.4 minutes per game this season, with a PER of 17.9.
