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Will Jeremy Lin Sign With Clippers, Warriors Or Nets?

Will Jeremy Lin Sign With Clippers, Warriors Or Nets?

Jeremy Lin is one of the more intriguing free agent players currently available on the NBA open market. On Saturday, Rajon Rondo signed a two-year deal with the Atlanta Hawks and Brad Wanamaker inked a one-year contract with the Golden State Warriors. That took two very solid backup guards off the board.

According to NBA insider Alex Kennedy, multiple contenders have interest in possibly adding Lin to their rosters in a backup guard capacity.

“Jeremy Lin wants to return to NBA and contenders are showing interest,” he tweeted.

If Lin does make an NBA return, there appear to be three legitimate potential suitors for his services: the Brooklyn Nets, Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Clippers.

As noted by Kennedy in a follow-up tweet, Lin was recently seen working out with Nets players and would fit snugly in a reserve role with the squad. Brooklyn doesn’t necessarily have the biggest need in the world for the 32-year-old, but he would check two important boxes for the organization.

First and foremost, Joe Tsai has faced a lot of pressure from Chinese fans over the past couple of years to pursue Lin. This could finally be his opportunity to deliver. And two, if a deal for James Harden does in fact happen, the Nets would essentially need to empty the cupboard. At that point additional depth in the form of Lin could prove to be useful.

If not Brooklyn, Golden State still makes a lot of sense. While the Wanamaker signing does render adding Lin a bit redundant, there could still be room for him on the roster if the Warriors are feeling uneasy about Stephen Curry’s long-term health prospects. Losing Klay Thompson for the year was a big blow, and having a little back court insurance wouldn’t hurt.

Finally, don’t sleep on the Clippers in all this. The organization badly wanted to sign Rondo and ultimately ended up whiffing on that. Kawhi Leonard has urged the front office to find a more offensively-oriented guard, and Lin could fit the bill.

Although Lin did not do much of note for the Toronto Raptors in his most recent NBA campaign, he was a solid piece off the bench for Atlanta Hawks during his run there. He ended up averaging 10.7 points per game while shooting 34.7 percent from beyond the arc. That sort of production could prove to be very useful for LA.

Moreover, Lin was rumored to be on the Clippers’ radar one year ago. Little has really changed since then, so it would make sense that he would at the very least get a look in 2020 as well.

Although Lin is best known for his play during the ‘Linsanity’ portion of his New York Knicks tenure, he has actually been a decent pro for many years. For his career, the 32-year-old boasts averages of 11.6 points and 4.3 assists per outing.

Now that the free agent guard market has reached the Austin Rivers, Langston Galloway and Reggie Jackson portion of the proceedings, there is really no reason for Lin not to get an opportunity. Will he definitely get signed this offseason? It remains to be seen. But should he at the very least get a closer look based on the players currently available on the market? Absolutely.

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Charles Kruger

Charles Kruger has been credentialed to cover two Super Bowls, four NBA Finals, and one World Series. A 20-year veteran in the sports world, he has sources spanning the NBA, MLB, NFL, UFC and NASCAR. Currently residing in Los Angeles, Calif., he is Game 7's go-to source for rumors surrounding the Lakers, Clippers and Dodgers.

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