Atlanta Hawks: 3 trade possibilities for Jeremy Lin

1. Detroit Pistons

I feel like the Detroit Pistons are the best team for a Jeremy Lin trade.

Take some of my thoughts about the Magic and it could apply for the Pistons and then, throw a new arena on top of it. They traded for Blake Griffin last season to make a big splash, but that’s not enough. There’s a hint of desperation there, one that the Atlanta Hawks could benefit from.

Despite adding Griffin, Detroit currently sits at 21-27, good for ninth in the Eastern Conference. Griffin, the superstar addition made 12 months ago, has done well. He’s averaging 26.5 points, 8.1 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game. When you add his 36.5 percent 3-point shooting, Griffin looks like a player deserving of an All-Star nod.

After that, the Pistons are grasping at straws on a nightly basis for any offense. The 25th-ranked team in offensive efficiency, Detroit can’t find a way to put the ball in the basket.

Andre Drummond grabs a ton of rebounds (14.9 per game), but he’s shooting 49.9 percent from the floor. Reggie Jackson is shooting 39.5 percent from the field and struggles to operate the offense. Outside of Reggie Bullock, the Pistons lack players who can create offense for themselves.

Detroit might need to make a few trades, but in the case of Lin, he offers Detroit someone who could operate the pick-and-roll for Detroit. His creation from the roll gives the Pistons another creator alongside Griffin. It takes the ball out of Jackson’s hands and allows Lin to help create for guys like Drummond, Bullock and Luke Kennard.

Much like the Magic, this comes down to a potential sweetener for Lin. Jon Leuer and his large contract makes up the monetary value, but what could Atlanta get back in this to make it worth their time?

It might, just like Orlando, come down to a protected first round pick. Stanley Johnson, while I like him personally, doesn’t do enough and has only one year of control left on his deal. Atlanta might be able to snag him in free agency.

Bruce Brown and Khyri Thomas — Detroit’s 2018 second round picks — aren’t enough to entice Atlanta, or they may have a better deal on the table.

Luke Kennard, the eighth overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, could be acquiring an asset for Atlanta, but I’m not keen on the idea of his fit for the Hawks. The Hawks could use someone with a bit more defensive capabilities, and while Kennard provides the shooting and ball-handling, him, Trae Young and Kevin Huerter could be the worst defensive trio in the league.

Orlando could pass on Lin because it seems to be in transition and if it fails to make the playoffs, it has another lottery pick and an enticing trade chip in Aaron Gordon. Detroit, on the other hand, has a ton of money tied up into Griffin, Drummond and Jackson for the foreseeable future and has struggled to hit on draft picks, meaning, there could be more desperation to get a deal done.