The Chicago Bulls and the Detroit Pistons appear as new potential landing spots for free agent guard Jeremy Lin.
Lin, who has opted out of his two-year $4.3 million contract with the Charlotte Hornets, will have a chance to explore free agency and pick his next team. According to Justin Brouckaert of Sport's Illustrated's Fansided, the Pistons could be an interesting destination for Lin, with the team in desperate need of a backup point guard to carry some of Reggie Jackson's workload.
The Pistons lack a quality PG coming off the bench to help run the offense, with Steve Blake and Spencer Dinwiddie the only rotation at the point guard spot. Bringing in Lin would give the Pistons a floor commander who could effectively play Stan Van Gundy's offensive schemes.
However, Lin may be heavily considering a chance to play as a starter after spending most of his career playing as a backup PG. In an interview with the Taipei Times, Lin revealed his ideal scenario when he joins a team, including the chance for a starting role.
"Of course I am going to consider who is coaching the team, the team's style, the players on the team and their change of winning, as well as the on-court time I have and if I have a chance to start," Lin said.
With Jackson cemented as the Pistons' top point guard, there is very little chance for Lin to start in Detroit, But one team that could also offer Lin a starting gig, as well as the chance to contend is the Bulls.
Fansided's Pippen Ain't Easy writer Daniel Coughlin believes Lin would be an intriguing fit for the Bulls, who is also looking to acquire a talented point guard as assurance to Derrick Rose's unpredictable health issues.
The Bulls only have a projected max cap space of $23 million to pursue top free agents, although it would be enough to pay Lin somewhere above $10 million per year, which he likely deserves after posting decent numbers for the Hornets this season.
But the more enticing part is the chance to play the lead role in running Fred Hoiberg's offense as the Bulls are likely to move on from Rose.
"Lin hasn't been able to secure himself serious first team action and he probably wouldn't do that in Chicago either," Coughlin noted.
"However, injuries are real and if he signed with the Bulls, it seems likely that he could be penciled in as a starter for at least a dozen games in the upcoming season. Whether he gets a chance to do that or not this season, next year there will hopefully be no Rose and Lin will either get his shot at running a team as the primary point guard or he will still be working as a capable backup."
While the Bulls seem a possible option for Lin, there are certainly other destinations where he could establish himself as a bona fide starting PG. Teams like the Philadelphia 76ers and Brooklyn Nets are also in desperate need of a quality point guard, with both teams lacking a talented playmaker.
But if there is very little window for Lin to become a starter, teams like the Bulls and Pistons should be few of the other considerable free agency destinations.