NBA Rumors: Warriors David Lee Expects to be Traded

Veteran player David Lee might not want to be a bench player for the rest of his career even if it is for best team of the year. According to new rumors, the 32-year-old power forward is expecting the Golden State Warriors to trade him before his contract expires after next season.

Although Lee has not gone into details about his future, his answers about his future with the Warriors remain very vague. Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com asked Lee if he thinks the Warriors will trade him this summer.

Lee coyly replied, "I think they tried to trade me the last two years, didn't they?"

He added, "But once again, what's kind of predicted and what ends up happening is not always the same thing. We'll just see what happens. I love it here. We have accomplished a lot here. We'll see once the season's over. The most important thing, though, is getting this ring first and then worrying about that later."

During this past season, Lee suffered from back and hamstring injuries that kept him on the bench. During his time away from the court, the Warriors found life in Draymond Green. Since Green's emergence, Lee has become a bench player with his role diminishing even more during the playoffs.

"I sat out a significant amount of time [with a hamstring injury]. It's no fun to sit out and my role changed as I came back. But most importantly I've had a lot of individual success in past seasons, and I don't think anyone doubts my ability to play this game at a high level," Lee said. "The biggest thing is finding a way to put this championship together. All season long, it's sacrificing, not just me but other guys. That's what it takes to win a championship. It's not about me or the minutes at this point.... I'll be ready to contribute if given the chance."

Despite the smaller role, Lee stated that he likes rookie coach, Steve Kerr.

"A lot of friends and family say, you haven't played as much, you [probably] can't stand Steve,'' Lee told The New York Post on Wednesday. "I've answered: 'In fact I get along with him great off the court and he's been very honest with me on where I stand.' That's all you can ask. I'd like to play more, but he's done an unbelievable job as coach."

Lee played in 49 games this year and averaged 18.4 minutes per game. He averaged 7.9 points and 5.2 rebounds during the regular season. In the postseason, Lee is averaging 2.0 points and 2.0 rebounds.

The Warriors are playing in their first NBA Finals in 40 years. They are currently leading the series against the Cleveland Cavaliers 1-0.

Game 2 will be on June 7 at 8 pm. ET on ABC.