The Brooklyn Nets will have a lot of decisions to make this summer, which would dictate the direction of the franchise in the next several seasons. The Nets are still in a tough spot this summer, as they will have limited cap space, and no high draft pick to boast because their 2018 first-round pick is with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Nets might also need to address the future of Jeremy Lin in Brooklyn. If the Nets want to build a competitive team, Sean Marks of ESPN said that Brooklyn should “ find a new home ” for Lin. While it will be easier said than done, Marks is convinced that parting ways with the former Harvard standout makes sense, according to Nets Daily .
Lin signed a three-year, $38.3 million contract with the Nets in 2016. He was viewed as the main building block of the Nets after the team also hired head coach Kenny Atkinson. Atkinson has a strong relationship with Lin, as they were both with the New York Knicks when the star point guard made a name for himself.
However, the Lin experiment has been a disaster for the Nets. The eight-year veteran was limited to 36 games last season and averaged 14.5 points and 5.1 assists per game. The Nets were expecting a better season from him this year after trading for D’Angelo Russell, who could take the pressure off Lin’s shoulders. However, Lin went down with a season-ending knee injury in their season opener, which raised a lot of questions about his durability.
Lin still has a year left in his deal after this season, but Marks said that the Nets should consider trading the veteran point guard. He said that Lin is now the “odd man out” in Brooklyn because of the arrival of Russell, and the emergence of Spencer Dinwiddie.
Russell, who is playing just in the third season of his career, is averaging 16.1 points and 4.8 assists per game. On the other hand, Dinwiddie is having a breakout season for the Nets. The 24-year-old point guard, who was selected 38th overall in the 2014 NBA Draft, is averaging a career-high 13.0 points and 6.8 assists per game.
Zack Collura of Nothin’ But Nets also said last week that Lin would have a hard time earning significant minutes when he recovers from the knee injury. Aside from the strong showing from Russell and Dinwiddie, Collura said that the continuous improvement of Caris LeVert would have a significant impact on Lin’s role moving forward.