Courtney Lee

Lee defending Kobe Bryant in January 2009

Lee was drafted 22nd overall by the Orlando Magic in the 2008 NBA draft.[4]

On February 4, 2009, Lee posted season-high numbers against the Los Angeles Clippers. He finished the night with 21 points, including 9-of-10 field goals while making three 3-pointers.[5]

Then on March 23, 2009 in a game against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden, Lee set a then-career high with 22 points. He made two critical free throws late in the fourth quarter to secure a comeback win for the Magic. Lee finished 6–8 from the field, 2–3 from behind the three-point line, and 8–8 from the free throw line.[6]

During the Magic's first round NBA playoff series against the Philadelphia 76ers, Lee scored 18 points in game 1 and a team-high 24 points in game 2, helping the team tie the series at 1–1.

On April 28, 2009 Lee was hit in the face by Dwight Howard during Game 5 of the Magic's first round playoff series, suffering a fractured sinus. The following day it was announced that he would miss Game 6 of the series due to the injury. He then returned for the second round matchup against the Boston Celtics but he was forced to wear a protective mask over his face for the remainder of the postseason.

In game 2 of the 2009 NBA Finals, Lee missed a potential game-winning layup with 0.6 seconds remaining on the shot-clock at the end of regulation that would have evened the series at 1.

Lee with the Nets in October 2009

After spending his rookie year with the Orlando Magic, Lee was traded on June 25, 2009, along with Rafer Alston and Tony Battie, to the New Jersey Nets for future teammate Vince Carter and Ryan Anderson.[7]

During the 2009–10 season, Lee led the Nets in steals (93), three-point shots made (76), and free throw percentage (86.9%).

On March 8, 2010, he recorded a career high 30 points in a 107–101 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies.

On August 11, 2010, Lee was traded to the Houston Rockets in a four-team, five-player trade in which the Rockets sent Trevor Ariza to the New Orleans Hornets.[8] He was officially introduced by the Rockets on August 18, 2010.

On July 20, 2012, Lee was traded to the Boston Celtics in a three team sign and trade deal involving the Houston Rockets and Portland Trail Blazers.[9] Lee agreed to a 4-year, $21.5 million deal with Boston. He had a fine start to the 2013–14 season hitting around 50 percent of his 3-point attempts under new coach Brad Stevens.[10]

On January 7, 2014, a three-team trade was completed between the Celtics, the Memphis Grizzlies, and the Oklahoma City Thunder. Boston traded Lee and a 2016 second round draft pick to Memphis for in exchange for the Grizzlies' Jerryd Bayless and the Thunder's Ryan Gomes.[11]

On February 16, 2016, the Grizzlies traded Lee to the Charlotte Hornets in a three-team trade also involving the Miami Heat.[12] Five days later, he made his debut and first start with the Hornets in a 104–96 win over the Brooklyn Nets, recording five points, one rebound and one assist in 21 minutes.[13]

On July 8, 2016, Lee signed with the New York Knicks.[14] Prior to the start of the 2017–18 season, Lee was named co-captain of the Knicks alongside Lance Thomas.[15] On January 15, 2018, in a 119–104 win over the Brooklyn Nets, Lee made his 44th straight free throw on a third-quarter technical, tying the Knicks' record set by Chris Duhon in 2008–09. Lee came into the game leading the league at 96.1 percent after hitting 73 of 76.[16] Two days later, he converted a free throw in the second quarter of the Knicks' 105–99 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies—his 45th straight, setting a franchise record.[17] In December 2018, he played a game with the Knicks' NBA G League affiliate, the Westchester Knicks.[18]

On January 31, 2019, Lee was traded, along with Trey Burke, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Kristaps Porziņģis, to the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for DeAndre Jordan, Wesley Matthews, Dennis Smith Jr. and two future first-round draft picks.[19] On June 22, 2020, the Dallas Mavericks announced that Lee suffered a left calf injury during the NBA hiatus.[20] After becoming a free agent after the season, he was re-signed on December 11, 2020,[21] but was waived after training camp.[22]