Los Angeles Lakers guard Jeremy Lin (Photo : REUTERS/GARY A. VASQUEZ)
Jeremy Lin’s free-agency situation is expected to be one of the most interesting storylines this summer, with several ball clubs already showing signs of interest for the Asian-American point guard.
Lin, who is ranked by ESPN as one of the 30 best point guards in the NBA today, is expecting offers from at least a dozen teams in the free-agency period. But like other free-agents in the market, there are going to be teams that would come more appealing than the others.
Here are the top-3 most intriguing landing spots for Jeremy Lin:
Philadelphia 76ers - The Sixers have been trying to acquire the 26-year old Lin since last summer, offering the Houston Rockets a trade proposal for the former Harvard baller before he was eventually shipped to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Sixers GM Sam Hinkie has always been fan of Lin dating back to his time as an assistant general manager under Rockets honcho Daryl Morey and it won’t be shocking if Hinkie would make another attempt to acquire Lin this time around, as he knows that the Asian-American star would fit perfectly into their up-tempo offensive system.
Houston Rockets – Despite using Lin and his $8 million expiring contract to clear up cap space for a max player, the Rockets must not have forgotten the tangibles Lin brought to table during his two-year stay with team. Although he lost his starting job to Patrick Beverley in the second year of the three-year, $25 million contract, Lin proved that he was a valuable piece of the team’s second unit, averaging 12.5 points and 4.1 assists in 28.9 minutes per game in his final year with the Rockets.
Prior to his trade to the Lakers, Lin thought the Rockets’ run-and-gun style is tailor-made for him because it featured a lot of pick-and-roll and fastbreak plays. The Rockets, on the other hand, missed Lin’s ability to create scoring opportunities and orchestrate plays, especially when Beverley went down with a season-ending wrist injury. Having Lin back would bolster their guard rotation, alleviating James Harden from his playmaking duties.
Denver Nuggets – The Nuggets’ chance of signing Lin would hinge on the presence of Mike D’Antoni on the bench. The Nuggets’ head coaching post has remained vacant since firing Brian Shaw from his duty. D’Antoni, the man credited for Lin’s breakout stint in New York, has been mentioned as one of the top candidates for the job.
Hiring D’Antoni as their next bench tactician would mean they need to give him the right personnel for his high-octane system. Unsurprisingly, Lin should top the list of free-agency targets for the Nuggets because he just knows how his former coach system’s works.
