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The Atlanta Hawks acquired point guard Jeremy Lin from the Brooklyn Nets in a trade Thursday night, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. The Hawks didn’t give up any of their current roster in the deal. Brooklyn received the rights to Isaia Cordinier, a 2016 draft pick that still plays overseas, and a 2020 second-round pick.
The addition of Lin gives Atlanta a crowded backcourt and probably signals that more moves are on the way. Let’s take a look at the Hawks’ 2018 starting lineup and roster as it currently stands.
Hawks Roster & Starting Lineup With Jeremy Lin
PG – Dennis Schroder, Trae Young, Jeremy Lin
SG – Kent Bazemore, Kevin Huerter, Tyler Dorsey, Antonius Cleveland, Jaylen Morris
SF – Taurean Prince, DeAndre’ Bembry
PF – John Collins, Mike Muscala, Omari Spellman
C – Dewayne Dedmon, Miles Plumlee
As you can see, the Hawks have a surplus of guards. It seems unlikely that this roster will be the same when the regular season tips off in October, and don’t expect the starting lineup to be exactly the same either.
Dennis Schroder Is Likely On The Move
Shortly after the Hawks acquired Lin, TNT’s David Aldridge said the team was “in range” to trade starting point guard Schroder, who has spent all five of his NBA seasons with the organization. This doesn’t come as a surprise considering the Hawks have been open about their desire to move him since before the draft.
Schroder has three years remaining on his $70 million contract. While his $15.5 million/yr contract isn’t entirely friendly, he’s coming off his best year. He averaged 19.4 points and 6.2 assists last season. It’d be easier to trade him if he had less years left on this deal, but the Hawks should still be able to find a trade partner.
Where Does Lin Fit on the Hawks
While Lin is a far cry from his “Linsanity” days in New York, expect him to serve as a mentor to No. 5 draft pick Trae Young. Young is the future of the Hawks and unlike Schroder, Lin is unlikely to threaten Young’s development. Lin is coming off of a ruptured patella tendon in his right knee that ended his season on opening night last year. Because of that, it’s unclear how productive he will be coming back from his injury. Thankfully for the Hawks they have a stable of guards that can pick up the slack. Expect Lin to play in limited minutes behind Young.