Brooklyn Nets rumors: Jeremy Lin to Orlando Magic?

Brooklyn Nets rumors say there could be a match for a Jeremy Lin deal: Reuniting the point guard with his old coach Steve Clifford with the Orlando Magic.

The Brooklyn Nets rumors about a potential Jeremy Lin trade have been swirling since last season.

Shortly after the 2017-18 season came to a close, Lin exercised his $12.5 million player option for next season. Opting in for the final year of his contract doesn’t guarantee Lin will stay in Brooklyn, however. Is Lin heading to the Orlando Magic?

The Brooklyn Nets had an up-and-down year last season. Many of their stars faced injuries, sidelining them from a couple games to most of the season.

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Lin ruptured his patellar tendon in his knee in the closing minutes of the Nets’ season opener and missed the rest of the season. The Lin injury was a blow to Brooklyn’s playoff hopes, but due to Spencer Dinwiddie, the Nets season was not all disappointing.

The Nets ended their season 28-54, finishing 12th in the Eastern Conference.

Now that the season is over, Brooklyn have made a series of moves. The Nets traded Timofey Mozgov and a couple of second-round picks to the Charlotte Hornets for Dwight Howard.

The Nets will buy out Howard’s expiring contract, while taking Mozgov off the books could open enough cap space next summer for two max contracts.

Brooklyn also agreed to terms with sharpshooter Joe Harris and have a deal with Portland big man Ed Davis. Both of these signings are great moves for Brooklyn. Now that they have worked on their wing and frontcourt areas, will Brooklyn do anything regarding the point guard position?

Brooklyn will have three point guards heading into the 2018-19 season; D’Angelo Russell, Dinwiddie and Lin.

Last season, Russell and Dinwiddie proved that they should be in a Nets uniform for years to come and are riding cheap contracts. Lin on the other hand, is due $12.5 million next season.

In other words, with Lin turning 30 next month, he is likely to be shopped if the Nets decide to move a point guard on their roster.

According to Brian Lewis of the New York Post, the Nets may consider moving Lin this off-season.

"Multiple league sources told The Post they had heard Lin could be dealt this offseason. Orlando is a logical landing spot. Lin played under Magic coach Steve Clifford during their time together in Charlotte. And ESPN posited a move to Phoenix even before the Suns cut Tyler Ulis."

Orlando would be an interesting destination for Lin. Lin played under Magic head coach Steve Clifford during his time as a Charlotte Hornet. The Magic are also in need of point guard depth.

The Magic decided to move on from point guard Elfrid Payton last season, trading him to Phoenix Suns. The Suns did not re-sign Payton this offseason and instead Payton recently signed a one-year deal with the New Orleans Pelicans.

Now, Orlando may not pursue Lin anymore due to Isaiah Thomas. According to Alex Kennedy of HoopsHype, The Magic are talking to Thomas.

Isaiah Thomas and the Orlando Magic are negotiating a possible deal, according to league sources. Nothing has been agreed to yet, but it seems both sides want to get this done.
— Alex Kennedy (@AlexKennedyNBA) July 4, 2018

If Thomas does decide to sign with Orlando, it makes the Magic an unlikely fir for Lin.

The Magic are in the process of rebuilding their roster. The Magic selected Mo Bamba with the sixth overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft. To go along with the addition of Bamba, Orlando also re-signed rising star Aaron Gordon to a four-year, $84 million deal.

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Regarding Lin, the Brooklyn Nets are not expected not to shop him heavily. If Lin is dealt, Brooklyn should wait for the best possible deal. The main motivation to trade Lin is to free up more cap space.

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