During the 2018 NBA offseason, the New Orleans Pelicans signed Elfrid Payton to replace Rajon Rondo as their starting point guard. Payton has managed an impressive start in the 2018-19 NBA season, but as of now, he has only played six games after suffering multiple injuries. Backup point guard Tim Frazier stepped up in Payton’s absence, but according to SB Nation’s The Bird Writes , the Pelicans should consider finding ways to boost their backcourt either via trade or free agency.
Jamile Dunn of The Bird Writes suggested that the Pelicans could target Jeremy Lin of the Atlanta Hawks.
“This sort of depends on what Dell is looking for. If he’s looking for a stop gap who possibly would not have a future with the team beyond this season, I would take a swing at Jeremy Lin. Lin missed last season with a knee injury, but prior to that, he excelled in the Gentry/ D’Antoni offense. Lin had his best season under D’Antoni in a Steve Nash/James Harden role. Perhaps he could display similar upside in New Orleans while running a modified version of the same system.”
Jeremy Lin Returns From Injury, Looks Sharp vs. Warriors https://t.co/pMfc8vV9lO pic.twitter.com/JbufmjTYTT
— MSN Philippines (@msnph) December 5, 2018
After spending the past two seasons dealing with injuries, the Brooklyn Nets decided to trade Jeremy Lin to the Atlanta Hawks. Since being traded to the rebuilding Hawks, the Asian-American already knew that his role would be to serve as a mentor to rookie point guard Trae Young. However, despite receiving limited playing time, Lin still managed to post incredible statistics. In 23 games, he is averaging 11.0 points and 3.1 assists on 51.2 percent shooting from the field, and 41.3 percent shooting from beyond the arc.
Jeremy Lin may not be on the level of Russell Westbrook, Stephen Curry, and Chris Paul, but he could still be a great addition to a team like the Pelicans who are in need of a starting caliber point guard. Playing under Pelicans Head Coach Alvin Gentry could help Lin revive “Linsanity” in New Orleans.
In the proposed trade deal by The Bird Writes , the Pelicans would trade Solomon Hill and a future second-round pick to the Hawks in exchange for Jeremy Lin. The deal works on ESPN ‘s NBA Trade Machine. If the trade becomes a reality, it will help both teams in addressing the issues on their roster.
The acquisition of Jeremy Lin will help the Pelicans address their backcourt problem. At this point in his NBA career, Lin would surely love to spend his remaining years playing for a legitimate playoff contender than mentoring young players on a rebuilding team. Meanwhile, in exchange for absorbing Solomon Hill’s contract, the Hawks would be acquiring a future draft pick that will enable them to add another young and talented player on their roster.
