My prediction Lin will be traded between Dec 15-19 (make yours)

Trade Deadline Targets:

1. Kevin Love
2. Deron Williams
3. Carmelo Anthony
4. Luol Deng
5. Rajon Rondo
6. 2014 lottery picks and expiring/non-guaranteed contracts


First prediction:
Jeremy Lin is traded between Dec 15th and Dec 19th for:
1. a good player on a decent contract and an expiring or
2. a large expiring contract and possibly something else

Possibilities
1. Lin to Milwaukee for Ilyasova and either Ridnour or Udoh. Ilyasova is a good player at a reasonable salary that can likely be a part of a flip for one of the guys I listed above and the other guy (Ridnour/Udoh) is an expiring contract for salary matching purposes at the deadline.

2. Lin for a large expiring contract like: Hedo Turkoglu, Ben Gordon, Danny Granger. Lin for Hedo could be done without any other parts. Gordon and Granger would require Smith or Brewer or Covington..some other small contract to go out with Lin to get back Gordon or Granger. However those teams would send us another minimum salary player as well.

3. a multi-team deal sending Lin to one team and players from that team to a third team and possibly even a 4th team being involved that nets us either a large expiring contract like KHump/Bynum or a value contract and an intermediate expiring deal.

Bottom line to my prediction is I think Lin is going to get moved and get moved for more salary incoming, salary that can be traded away at the deadline. That means a good value player that is desired around the league and expiring dollars or simply a large expiring contract.

REASONING:

1. Morey has allowed to leak that he wants to move Asik by Dec. 19th. Why would he do that?? The only logical reason is because he sees the opportunity to synergize something else he is doing and coming up with a better net overall trade-able pile of assets. We all know he doesn't have to move Asik at all. And he for sure doesn't have to move Asik this soon. I wouldn't be surprised if Morey advised Asik to get Tellum as his agent so Morey could talk to Tellum and get Tellum to help him make a deal for Asik sooner.

2. If Morey moves Lin for expiring salary and a young, good value player or a big expiring contract it's gonna add close to $5 million to the books. Any of those guys I suggested is a $12-$14 million contract. If Morey can't get the deal he wants he can push on to the trade deadline with Asik and Tellum screaming and pitching a fit about being traded and stirring up all sorts of possible trade scenarios, scenarios that would be better for us. So if Morey can't move Asik, he'll have around $24-25 million of salary in Asik and the assets we get for Lin that are trade-able. Using the 125% rule that's $30 million of salary we can take on.

And if Morey can manage to move Asik by Dec 19th for another big expiring contract like say Bynum plus 2 first rounders or Khump plus 2 firsts or Millsap and a pick swap, then he's got even more salary to work with at the deadline and the picks besides.

This would put Morey in prime position to steal one of the prime targets at the deadline.

Let's look at the targets:

1. Kevin Love - he can opt out after the 2014-15 season. He is going to opt out after the 2014-15 season. If the T-Wolves are slopping around at the deadline and Love is not happy...PERHAPS...perhaps Flip decides to move him and rebuild. In a rebuilding scenario Flip is going to want major cap relief, picks and good value contracts. Ilyasova, picks, and taking back a bunch of salary MAY get the job done.

(I think it is inevitable that Love leaves unless the T-Wolves blow up and make the playoffs. Too many teams are gonna have space to sign him outright when he opts out. Flip knows that. I think it's just a matter of when (not if) Flip deals him.

2. Deron Williams - The Nets payroll is over $100 million, and they won't have their lottery pick if they don't make the playoffs. If they are stinking it up at the deadline and Garnett looks dead then moving those guys out for expirings, picks, cap space could become doable for the Nets.

3. Carmelo Anthony - Same situation as the Nets. Stinking it up, not a viable playoff team, knowing Melo is going to opt out and fly the coop and no draft picks or cap space to rebuild with. If they get to the deadline in this condition it could be time to scoop up Melo. Cap relief/picks/young talent.

4. Luol Deng - Chicago could wind up in the same condition at the deadline, struggling to stay relevant in the East with Rose down. Having to make a decision on Deng, wanting to stay in the playoff hunt. If they're in no-man's land at the deadline then taking back Boozer with Deng and giving them Lin and other assets from an Asik trade could get the job done with Chicago if Chicago wants to stay relevant in the East with Chicago having to throw us a bone in the form of Mirotic or their pick.

And the pressure that Morey has here is that when he's talking to these teams he can tell them if they want Lin they have deal for him now...if Morey already has a deal in place for him. Lin would be a perfect fit in Chicago while Rose is gone and a good fit alongside Rose when Rose returns. The thing here is if Chicago decides to take Lin, they're gonna want the assets and expiring contract that we get for Asik and taking back Boozer.

**** So this is the exception to moving Lin between Dec. 15th and Dec. 19th **** If a team like Chicago is willing to give us a superstar/star level talent on the right contract if we help them with a salary dump and it's a deal that Morey wants to do then he's gonna secure their agreement and keep Lin for them at the deadline and trade Asik by Dec. 19th for the best package of expiring contracts and assets that Chicago wants.

However if Morey and Paxson do agree to a Deng/Boozer/(pick or Mirota) deal for Lin, expirings, picks deal then that deal will most likely go down as 2 separate deals with Lin and Brewer going to Chicago by Dec 19th for Deng and then Asik also being traded on Dec 19th for assets that Chicago wants for Boozer and Mirota at the deadline with Asik most likely being turned into some large expiring contract and picks.

5. Rajon Rondo - he's a superstar. Might not be the best fit but he could be the best value asset that can extract the most value (along with expirings) from a third team. I'd say he's a long shot. But Ainge wants to win and rebuild on the fly. Lin/Asik/parts for Rondo and Khump might get done.

6. If all else fails if we can move both these guys for serviceable backups and a shot at the 2014 lottery with expirings contracts...that also puts us in prime position going into the 2014 off season.

My prediction is Jeremy Lin will be traded by Dec. 19th.

 

Not obsessed with trading Lin, just see it as a reality for Morey to get this team where it needs to be to win rings.

 

Thought about it. But this is a prediction. Make yours.

 

Yeah, like I said, I thought about putting it there. But this is not a trade proposal. It's a prediction. A prediction about what's going to happen to this team in the next couple weeks. If the mods think it should be merged that's fine. But I'm not saying what about......?? I'm saying I believe this is going to happen. Make your prediction.

 

Very simply....to have the opportunity to add another great player.