With the Hornets emerging as another suitor for Dwight Howard, Jeremy Lin's days in Charlotte might end soon as he could wind up as one of the trade pieces should the Michael Jordan-owned ball club push for the deal to happen.
The Hornets became the latest team to join the fray in the Howard sweepstakes following a report by ESPN NBA insider Marc Stein confirming the exploratory talks between the Hornets and the Rockets regarding Howard's availability.
Charlotte (27-26) currently holds the eight spot in the Eastern Conference, but faces a crowded competition to secure a postseason berth at the end of the year.
They revamped their lineup into a more offensive oriented unit by acquiring versatile scorers like Nicolas Batum, Jeremy Lamb and Spencer Hawes through trades while signing Lin to a two-year, $4.3 million deal.
While the Hornets gained significant improvement offensively (14th in the league at 102.1 pg), they just couldn't take off with injuries coming left and right. The latest of which is the season-ending shoulder injury to Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, the team's best perimeter defender.
The Hornets tried to offset their deficiency by trading for Courtney Lee on Tuesday, yet there remains a gaping hole that prevents them from becoming a legit contender in the East. Charlotte needs a defensive powerhouse in the middle, and they are apparently gambling on Howard to be that game-changer kind of a player this season.
Trading for a superstar is expensive. Acquiring Howard isn't any different. The Rockets are looking for the best trade package in exchange for Howard, who is averaging 14.6 points and 12.0 rebounds per game this season.
The Hornets have a stockpile of promising frontline players like Kidd-Gilchrist, Cody Zeller and Frank Kaminsky along with the expiring contracts of Batum and Al Jefferson. In short, they have the assets to pull off the deal.
Lin, who is playing well off the bench for the Hornets this season, could also end up as one of the trade chips, especially if the Rockets asked for his inclusion, according to Sportrageous.
The former Harvard standout played for two seasons with the Rockets before he was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers last season. Still, Bleacher Report writer Howard Beck indicated in his report a year ago that the Rockets were still interested in bringing Lin back because he seems to be an ideal fit alongside James Harden.
Lin is averaging at least 12 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists in 27 minutes per game. His exploits off the bench for the Hornets puts him in conversation for the Sixth Man of the Year honor this year.
Again, Lin is playing on the first year of a two-year, $4.3 million deal, making a desirable trade targets for contenders looking for depth at the point guard spot.