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Agent: Spurs sign David Lee

David Lee is signing with the Spurs. (Getty Images)
David Lee is signing with the Spurs. (Getty Images)

Free agent forward David Lee has signed a two-year deal with the San Antonio Spurs, agent Mark Bartelstein told The Vertical.

Lee will have a player option in the second year of his deal, which will be worth the veteran’s minimum.

Lee, 33, considered more lucrative deals elsewhere, but committed to the Spurs’ opportunity to win a championship and play a backup role to LaMarcus Aldridge and Pau Gasol.

General manager “R.C [Buford] and coach [Gregg] Popovich put a lot of time and energy to give David a visual of how much they wanted him and would use him,” Bartelstein told The Vertical. “A lot of people talk about taking less money, and not many people do it, so the Spurs get a lot of credit for selling David on joining their organization.”

Lee, 33, has played 11th season out of Florida and has career averages of 14.2 points, 9.2 rebounds and 2.3 assists. After working with the Golden State Warriors on a deal to send him to Boston last offseason, Lee agreed to a buyout with the Celtics in February and became a free agent.

In 25 games for the Dallas Mavericks to close the regular-season season, Lee averaged 8.5 points and seven rebounds in 17.3 minutes a night.

Lee was the No. 30 overall pick by the New York Knicks in 2005 and signed a long-term contract to join the Warriors in 2010. He helped accelerate the franchise’s rebuild along with Stephen Curry and played a vital role in Golden State’s NBA Finals victory over Cleveland in 2015.