The Boston Celtics are willing to trade away David Lee in the current NBA season. Lee has seen erratic playing time and limited role for the Boston team, which is looking for more young assets to add to their roster as they continue to rebuild for the future.

Lee has an expiring contract and could be of value for teams that are willing to cut down on salary for the next seasons, as noted by David Aldridge, a writer for the league’s official website. It remains to be seen if Lee or a Boston package that includes Lee may be enough to net the likes of DeMarcus Cousins of the Sacramento Kings or other NBA superstars.

“Danny Ainge has any number of movable pieces that could be packaged; no other teams has the guard inventory Boston has, with young, controllable talent like Marcus Smart, James Young and R.J. Hunter mixing with current incumbents Avery Bradley and Isaiah Thomas,” Aldridge wrote earlier this week on NBA.com.

“The logjam is no less severe up front, with Kelly Olynyk and Jared Sullinger and Jae Crowder and Jonas Jerebko and Amir Johnson and Tyler Zeller. And after Boston's inability to move up in the last couple of Drafts, Ainge might be more inclined to make a deal in season.”

Lee has played sparingly this season and only averages 15.8 minutes per game in 26 appearances, four of which as a starter, for Boston. The 32-year-old veteran, who was acquired by the Celtics in a trade with NBA champion team Golden State Warriors, has logged 7.3 points and 4.3 rebounds this year, his lowest since his rookie year with the New York Knicks in the 2005-2006 season.

Ainge, who is the president of basketball operations for Boston, has been targeting a superstar ever since they started their rebuild years ago when they let go of veterans Rajon Rondo, Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce.

It is highly unlikely that Lee alone could net them that NBA star but a package of Lee along with promising youngsters like Smart, Sullinger, Bradley and Thomas might be enough for the Celtics to acquire a go-to-guy that can help them in a probable postseason run.

The Celtics are currently out of the playoff picture in the Eastern Conference standings with a 15-13 win-loss record.

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