Lakers would like to trade Jeremy Lin but market is “weak”

Once the Lakers traded for Jeremy Lin they had to know he was going to be with them all season. It’s mostly about the contract, which counts for $8.4 million against the cap but is actually north of $15 million in money paid out (part of the poison pill contract he signed with Houston back in 2012).

The fact that he has been in-and-out of Byron Scott’s doghouse hasn’t helped matters.

The Lakers are shopping Lin around but not with any success, reports Sean Deveney of the Sporting News.

He still would make a good backup point guard, and the Lakers would move him if they could get an asset in return, but the market for Lin has been weak

Lin does some things well — he is aggressive and attacks off the pick-and-roll, he can finish around the rim or knock down threes — but he’s not a great assist guy, he turns the ball over too much, and he’s not a great defender.

Deveney hits the nail on the head: Lin is a solid NBA backup point guard. If it weren’t  for “Linsanity” and his oversized contract, the expectations of him would not be so high and he could blend in around the NBA.

But that’s not the case, and because of the contract he’s not getting traded. (It’s much the same with Jordan Hill, the Lakers are not finding a huge market for the big man, his hip injury is not going to help matters.)

This summer some team will pick Lin up as a free agent for $5 million or so a year to use as a reserve point guard behind their more established star, and that role will work for Lin. He’s a solid player who is still defined by a hot month a few years back.