Acquiring Lee? Don't count on it

There are a couple reasons why acquiring New York Knicks All-Star forward David Lee via a sign-and-trade deal, something the Jazz have expressed in trying to, is decidedly problematic.
It’s mostly because there are two primary ways Utah could land Lee, and neither — at least at this point — seems realistic.
One would be a double sign-and-trade, with Lee coming to Utah and two-time Jazz All-Star power forward Carlos Boozer going to New York.
The problem there is that the Knicks appear to have minimal, if any, interest in acquiring Boozer. Chicago, New Jersey, Miami and Utah itself is much more in play.
The Jazz also have a $6.5 million traded player exception — acquired when they dealt veteran forward Matt Harpring to Oklahoma City last December — that they could use to deal for a player (or players) from another team without being concerned about being over the NBA’s team payroll salary cap.
But the problem there is that multiple teams are interested in Lee, and odds are good that one or more will offer him a deal starting in excess of $6.5 million.
The upshot: Don’t count on it.

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