NBA Trade Rumors: Jeremy Lin's Hot Streak Makes Him Tradeable; Teams Where He Might Go
Once again, Jeremy Lin has started to come alive this season.
After going through a rough patch over the last seven games thanks to a shooting slump (39.0 percent), few shots (8.4 field goal attempts) and a reduction in playing time (27.9 minutes), Lin has started to reemerge as force to be reckoned with.
Yeah, it's easy to blow that off. Three games? Three measly little games? However, when looking at how Lin's rebounded off of that slide after Patrick Beverley returned to the starting lineup—which resulted in Lin's role and minutes being diminished—and after coming off back pains that cost him a few games in December, one has to be encouraged by the positive signs that Lin has started showing.
Over the last three games against the San Antonio Spurs, the Dallas Mavericks and the Cleveland Cavaliers, Lin has racked up 17.0 points, 8.3 assists and 1.0 steals on 48.7 percent shooting and 33.3 percent three point shooting. His latest game Saturday against the Cavaliers saw Lin record an impressive milestone, notching his first career triple-double, 15 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists; that's a hard-enough thing for a starter to do, led alone a player off the bench.
It's no secret what Lin can do when he gets going on the offensive side of the ball; the legend of "Linsanity" still lives on, even exactly two years to the date after Lin's offensive explosion against the Nets in Madison Square Garden that grew into a month-long tear that launched Lin, then a journeyman player, into the public eye worldwide. And while injuries and loss of playing time at certain points of the season have caused Lin's offense to start and stall in fits and spurts, Lin is still shooting at a solid 46.3 percent from the field this season, while hitting at 33.1 percent from downtown. While he's only averaging 13.4 points this season, that's just what's on the surface. If you follow how strong Lin started the season before his injuries and the volleying of his minutes thanks to injuries to key players like James Harden and Beverley, that shows just what Lin can bring to a basketball team—an explosive scorer that can stay hot for an extended period of time, with an improved shot and the ability to drive hard to the lane.
However, thanks to the "poison pill" contract that the Rockets used to lure the marketable fan favorite Lin from New York during the summer of 2012, Lin's contract will cost Houston $14.8 million next season. And for a team that's looking for one last major superstar to add to their team in the hopes of bringing an NBA title back to Houston for the first time since 1995, the cost of keeping Lin might simply be too high. For that reason primarily, Lin's name has been floating about in trade rumors in the last few months when it comes to the Rockets. If Houston ends up pulling the trigger on a trade involving Lin, it's a potential move that could be a blessing in disguise for the Asian-American point guard. While Lin's put in the work to improve his shooting over the offseason, he hasn't seen much in the way of rewards; he lost his starting job to Beverley and he's not getting as many opportunities to shoot the ball as he used to thanks to his diminished playing time. Perhaps a change of scenery could be the next step for the athletic, still-promising 25-year-old point guard with the large and almost cult-like international fan base. But where would he end up? There are a few options out there that could make sense for the Rockets and Lin.
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Boston Celtics
With the days of the "Big Three" of Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen behind them, Boston is now in rebuilding mode. And while the Celtics already have a point guard—a guy by the name of Rajon Rondo—the Celtics might be tempted to pull the trigger on a Rondo-for-Lin swap thanks to uncertainty surrounding Rondo's recovery from ACL surgery and his expiring contract next season. Rather than lose Rondo for nothing, it's not hard to see the Celtics sending Rondo out of their conference for a Rockets package including Lin, another player and maybe a draft pick or two. Lin would do well along the stats line on a team with no primary scorer available, while his proximity to the Atlantic Division would surely have Knicks owner James Dolan having a fit over seeing the player he let slip away in the hands of a bitter division rival. Revenge, anyone?
Toronto Raptors
The Raptors have a skilled veteran point guard in Kyle Lowry, but the Raptors might still be willing to move him rather than lose him in July, when he becomes an unrestricted free agent. That being said, and with Lin's contract due to expire in 2015, anyway, it seems like a natural fit between Lin and Toronto. Lin would have to share the ball with DeMar DeRozan, but he would be on a young, aggressive team on their way up, while the Raptors would get another aggressive player on offense with a good shooting touch. And if it doesn't work out, Lin's not going to be tied down for too long, as he can move somewhere else after next season.
Philadelphia 76ers
With Philadelphia down in the cellar of the East this year (15-33), the Sixers are a team that could be looking to make a change. With word that the Sixers have recently inquired about Omer Asik, it wouldn't be hard to see the Rockets looking to include Lin in a potential package deal with the Sixers before the trade deadline. The package wouldn't come cheap for Philly, and would likely cost them assets like Evan Turner and Spencer Hawes.
Charlotte Bobcats
A team that has seemingly been rebuilding since 2010, anything the Bobcats can do to improve would be a benefit. Sidery Sports recently submitted an interesting proposal that would have Lin join the Bobcats in a three-team trade with the Rockets and Sixers. The Bobcats would get Lin, forward Donatas Motiejūnas and small forward Evan Turner, while the Sixers get Ben Gordon, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Asik, while the Rockets get point guard Ramon Sessions, stretch forward Thaddeus Young and center Spencer Hawes. With no major star on the Sixers, Lin would have the opportunity to stand out and shine-in a smaller market, sure, but with plenty of opportunity to see how far he can go.