On Friday, the Golden State Warriors were reportedly close to finalizing a deal with veteran guard Jeremy Lin. The plan was for Golden State to add Lin to their G League roster by waiving and resigning him. Yet, the plan never got to that stage.
The deadline to sign Lin passed after the Warriors didn’t get his letter of clearance from FIBA. However, the Warriors could still be targeting the 32-year-old guard.
According to Marc Stein of The New York Times, the Warriors “remain interested” in signing Lin to Golden State’s G League affiliate in Santa Cruz. The Warriors will “explore all avenues” with Lin’s potential signing, per Stein.
Via @TheSteinLine on Twitter:
The Warriors remain interested in adding Jeremy Lin to the @GLeagueWarriors should Lin decide to use the G League as the platform for a potential NBA comeback, league sources say
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) December 20, 2020
Without a FIBA Letter of Clearance, Golden State could not go through with its plan to sign and waive Lin before 11 PM ET last night, but I'm told the Warriors "will explore all avenues" to acquire Lin's rights if he chooses the G League route after spending last season in China
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) December 20, 2020
If Lin lands in Santa Cruz, he could eventually compete for a spot in Golden State’s rotation behind Stephen Curry. Kent Bazemore, Brad Wanamaker and Mychal Mulder are currently slated to back up the two-time Most Valuable Player.
During the offseason, Lin was spotted working out with Curry, Eric Paschall, Marquese Chriss and other members of the Warriors.
After playing nine seasons in the NBA, Lin spent 2019-20 playing for the Beijing Ducks in the Chinese Basketball Association. Prior to his time in the CBA, Lin started his career in Golden State as an undrafted free agent in 2010.
As a rookie, Lin played in 29 games with the Warriors, averaging 2.6 points on 38.9% shooting from the field with 1.4 assists and 1.2 rebounds per contest. After his stint in the Bay Area, Lin played for the New York Knicks, Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers, Charlotte Hornets, Brooklyn Nets, Atlanta Hawks and Toronto Raptors.
During his career, Lin is averaging 11.6 points on 43.3% shooting from the field with 4.3 assists, 2.8 rebounds and 1.1 steals in 25.5 minutes per game.