NBA Rumors: Jeremy Lin To Get Traded If Nets Sign J.J. Redick This Summer?
Jeremy Lin is looking to bounce back next season after an injury-riddled first year with the Brooklyn Nets. However, the latest NBA rumors suggest that Lin could be on his way out of Brooklyn this summer. The Nets are reportedly looking to find a more suitable backcourt mate for newly-acquired point guard D’Angelo Russell.
The NBA trade rumors involving Jeremy Lin started after the Nets traded Brook Lopez and the 27th overall pick to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Russell and Timofey Mozgov. Lopez was the longest-tenured Nets on the roster but he was still traded. It does not erase the fact that Nets general manager Sean Marks is not afraid to part ways with loyal players like Lopez and possibly Lin.
According to Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer, the Nets are interested in signing J.J. Redick in free agency. The 33-year-old shooter is a perfect fit in Brooklyn because of his ability to knock down threes. He also owns a home in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Dumbo, which makes his move to the Nets even possible.
If the Nets sign Redick, it makes Jeremy Lin expendable because the Nets cannot manage to have an expensive sixth man. D’Angelo Russell is the future of the Nets franchise and he will have to start over Lin with Redick as the shooting guard. Lin also has a player option after next season, which makes him a trade candidate for teams looking to shed out salary cap.
Andrew Hughes of FanSided assessed the trade value of Jeremy Lin in one of his reports. Hughes believes that Lin’s market will rise towards the end of free agency when big name point guards like Jrue Holiday, Jeff Teague, Derrick Rose, and George Hill get signed. Lin is a starter in the NBA and he would be a good fit for several teams.
Hughes pointed out that the New Orleans Pelicans and Dallas Mavericks are two potential destinations for Jeremy Lin. The Pelicans would need a new point guard if they strike out in free agency. New Orleans can offload the contracts of Omer Asik and pair it with a first round pick to sweeten the deal.
On the other hand, the Mavericks will use Jeremy Lin as a mentor for Dennis Smith Jr. The Mavericks can trade a player like Dwight Powell, who has been good when given playing time. If it all pans out, the Nets would have gotten rid of Lin and Lopez while giving D’Angelo Russell the keys to the team. Russell has the potential to be a superstar and he could easily reach it now that the pressure of playing for the Lakers is gone.
Jeremy Lin is a good NBA player but he is closer to being 30-years-old and he went through some serious injuries last season. The Nets now have a direction with Russell as their franchise cornerstone while Lin can always provide leadership. It’s only a matter of time for fans to know the fate of Lin in Brooklyn.
Nevertheless, these are just NBA rumors at the moment and nothing is assured. Take it with a grain of salt but fans should expect more rumors in the coming days and weeks. The 2017 NBA Free Agency officially begins on July 1.
[Featured Image by Michael Reaves/Getty Images]
