Suns sign Damion Lee, Steph Curry’s brother-in-law, away from Warriors

Coming primarily off of the bench, Damion Lee played in 63 games for the Golden State Warriors during the 2021-22 season. Now, he’s headed to another Western Conference contender.

Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reported on Friday night that Lee is headed to the Phoenix Suns.

The NBA world had a big reaction to the signing.

Lee is the brother-in-law of reigning NBA Finals MVP Steph Curry. That naturally created some skepticism that he only had a spot on an NBA roster because of his family ties.

But this goes a long way towards disproving that.

During the regular season, he averaged 19.9 minutes, 7.4 points and 3.2 rebounds per game, while shooting 44.1% from the field, 33.7% on threes and 88% on free throws. For his career, Lee has averaged 21 minutes, 8.2 points and 3.5 rebounds a game and has made 43.4% of his field goals, 35.7% of his threes and 86.8% of his free throws.

So, while his minutes in the postseason were more limited, Lee has proven that he can be a contributor on a championship team.

As far as long-term rammifications, we must remember that Kevin Durant has requested a trade from the Brooklyn Nets and has listed Phoenix as one of two desired destinations.

If the Suns are going to get Durant, they’re going to lose some depth. Signing Lee could help fill whatever void is left if that trade does happen.

And if that trade doesn’t come to fruition, simply acquiring a player who averaged just under 20 minutes a game for an NBA Champion may not be a bad move, either.

[Adrian Wojnarowski]