The Jeremy Lin trade
It wasn’t really a blockbuster trade. In fact, it was a trade that received as much criticism as it did praise. Some are skeptical that Jeremy Lin can ever bring back “Linsanity,” but a rebuilding team could be exactly what Lin needs. As currently constructed, Lin is exactly what the Hawks could use.
In a trade to help the Brooklyn Nets cut some salary cap costs, the Hawks were more than happy to take on Lin. The full trade included Lin along with second round picks in 2023 and 2025. In return, the Nets gained Isaia Cordinier and a 2020 second round pick. This trade would give the Hawks flexibility to move Dennis Schroder (more on that later) and a more seasoned veteran to help mentor Trae Young.
The bad thing about Jeremy Lin is he’s coming off missing a full season of playing after tearing his patellar tendon in the first game last season. He only played in 37 games during the 2016-17 season as well. The good news is he’s had experience around the league both as a starter and backup point guard.
The 2015-16 version of Jeremy Lin (when he was in Charlotte) averaged 11.7 points and 3.0 assists per game, playing in 78 games with 13 starts. The Hawks only need him to be a spot starter like he was three seasons ago. If he can still contribute quality minutes, a few starts from him could go a long way for Trae Young in his rookie season. Even if the Linsanity experiment doesn’t work out, his $12 million will roll right off the books next offseason.
Grade: B