The Brooklyn Nets have made several solid moves this offseason, highlighted by their acquisition of D’Angelo Russell, Timofey Mozgov, Allen Crabbe and DeMarre Carroll through trades. General manager Sean Marks is apparently far from done.
The Nets, who basically compromised its future in the infamous 2013 trade that netted them washed-out veterans Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce, are expected to leverage the value of every player on its roster to gain more assets in the form of draft picks or promising young players. With a reasonable contract and a reputation as an effective backup guard, Jeremy Lin is the kind of player the Nets will be trying to shop for more value.
Nets look to collect more assets
In his piece in the New York Post, NBA pundit Brian Lewis discussed the Nets’ current situation after completing a series of trade this summer. He thinks the Nets did a great job collecting assets through salary dump trades. Their gamble in taking up the bloated contracts of Mozgov, Crabbe, and Carroll also gave them a former no.2 overall pick (Russell), a first-rounder, and second-round pick – a solid haul for a team that gave away two first-rounders to Celtics a few years ago.
Lewis added Marks isn’t finished yet. Ripping off a page from the playbook of Celtics’ GM Danny Ainge and former Sixers’ GM Sam Hinkie, the Nets’ GM will continue to make trades with several intriguing players on its roster as trade baits.
Lin, who averaged 14.5 points and 5.1 dimes per game last season, seems to be one of them.
“The Crabbe trade still leaves the Nets under the cap next year, and it might not be their last deal. LeVert and Russell are the only untouchables, but Trevor Booker is on an expiring deal, Jeremy Lin is able to opt out after this season, and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson is an intriguing piece who could fetch a return,” according to Lewis.
What’s Jeremy Lin’s value?
Talking more about value, the 29-year old Lin could command a pricey return especially if he gets off to a strong start this season. Lin had a solid run early into the 2016-17 season, but a recurring hamstring injury limited him to just 36 games. Teams looking for depth on their backcourt will find Lin an interesting trade target.
He has a player’s option for next season but on a reasonable deal (compared to the current market price for guards) at $12 million per year. The Nets will likely wait for the right time before pulling the trigger on this one, probably at the trade deadline in February.
