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Lakers Acquire Jeremy Lin and Draft Choices in Trade with Rockets

EL SEGUNDO - The Los Angeles Lakers have made a trade with the Houston Rockets, acquiring guard Jeremy Lin as well as a future first round draft pick and a second round draft pick in 2015 (acquired by Houston in an earlier deal with the L.A. Clippers) in exchange for the rights to Sergei Lishchuk, it was announced today by General Manager Mitch Kupchak.

“This trade allows us to acquire a solid player who will make us a better team, as well as draft picks to improve our team in the future, while at the same time allowing us to maintain financial flexibility,” said Kupchak. “In addition to what he’ll bring us on the court, we think Jeremy will be warmly embraced by our fans and our community.”

Lin, a four-year NBA veteran with the Warriors, Knicks and Rockets, holds career averages of 11.9 points, 4.8 assists and 2.6 rebounds in 217 career games (140 starts). Last season, in 71 games with the Rockets, the 25-year-old averaged 12.5 points, 4.1 assists and 2.6 rebounds while shooting career-bests from the field (.446) and on three-point field goals (.358). Born in Los Angeles and raised in Northern California, Lin was named the NBA’s Player of the Week for February 12, 2012 and started all 82 games of the 2012-13 season. He became the first American of Chinese or Taiwanese descent to play in the NBA in 2010-11, after four-year career at Harvard University.

Lishchuk was selected by the Memphis Grizzlies in the 2004 NBA Draft and was traded to the Rockets in February 2008 before landing with the Lakers as part of a three-way trade with the Nets in December 2010. He played for Valencia of the Spanish ACB League in 2013-14 and appeared in the Eurocup.