With the Hawks not exactly racking up wins, they will be looking to trade any of their expiring contracts that opposing teams find value in. Right now, that appears to be Jeremy Lin, who is showing contending teams that he hasn’t lost a step despite coming off several injuries.
Kevin O’Connor of the Ringer recently reported that Lin was on the table to go to the Suns in the Trevor Ariza deal that went down less than a week ago. Now, Brandon Robinson is reporting that sources tell him the Magic are in on the Jeremy Lin sweepstakes.
Orlando Magic have trade interest in Jeremy Lin, per source. pic.twitter.com/hRRPTfiB06
— Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson (@ScoopB) December 20, 2018
It is no shock teams are interested in Lin. He’s playing magnificently in the backup role for the Hawks, showing the poise of a veteran with the same skills that brought Linsanity to life in the first place. Through 26 games, Lin is averaging 10.8 points on 50.3% from the field and 38.4% from three-point range while dishing out 3.1 dimes per game.
He also won’t cost much. Owed $13.2 million in the final year of his contract, Lin could probably be had for a second-rounder or two. Although in O’Connor’s report, the Hawks received a first-rounder in a four-team trade.
Atlanta might also be slightly hesitant to deal Lin at this point. Trae Young has had an up and down rookie season, and Hawks coach Lloyd Pierce calls Lin the “stabilizer”. Lin’s veteran mentorship to their rookie point guard may prove more valuable than whatever teams end up offering for Lin.