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NBA Trade Grades: Hawks acquiring Jeremy Lin from Nets

By Gerald Bourguet

Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images
Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images /
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NBA Trade Grades
Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images /

Atlanta Hawks

The biggest takeaway from the Lin trade is whatever questions may have lingered about the future of Dennis Schroder, they’ve now been swept off the table. With Jeremy Lin set to join an exciting young backcourt featuring Trae Young, Kevin Huerter and Kent Bazemore, the writing is on the wall.

Whether the Hawks are actually able to trade him is another matter entirely, however, since no one seems to want an average point guard with a bad reputation and a remaining three years and $45.5 million on his contract.

In any case, the move places extra urgency on working to get a Schroder trade done, which was a priority for the Hawks all summer long. Adding Lin also represents the exact kind of one-year gamble Atlanta should be taking right now.

It’s no secret the Hawks are going to be bad again in 2018-19, so why not provide a disinterested fanbase with a little more excitement? Young is a brand unto himself, he and Huerter are already being dubbed as the Splash Babies and with Lin joining the mix, this team may actually be entertaining to watch on NBA League Pass every now and then.

There are the obvious health risks, of course. Lin missed all but one game last season, and missed another 46 the year before. There’s a chance he’s unable to contribute anything meaningful before hitting unrestricted free agency next summer.

However, the Hawks don’t need Lin to help them win games, and they’ll be looking forward to his $12.5 million coming off the books next summer regardless of what he does in 2018-19. This move is a short-term injection of adrenaline for the upcoming season, but even in the worst-case scenario where he gets hurt again, he still has value as an expiring contract.

Watching him recapture Linsanity as the leader of a young backcourt would be fun, and he should get ample minutes whether he’s coming off the bench or helping ease Young into the starting job. Given the professionalism and respect that have followed Lin throughout his career, this figures to be a no-risk addition to a young and exciting backcourt, no matter what his role winds up being.

Next: 2018 NBA free agency tracker: Grades for every deal so far

Grade: A-