The Golden State Warriors are finalizing a deal that will bring former Los Angeles Laker and New York Knick Jeremy Lin to their team. The news was broken per The Athletic’s Shams Charania.
Jeremy Lin is finalizing a deal with the Golden State Warriors, pending letter of clearance from Chinese Basketball Association, sources tell @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium.
Lin’s contract will be an Exhibit 10 deal, thus moving him to the Warriors G-League team, the Santa Cruz Warriors. The move is expected to help Lin get back into shape as he prepares to return to the Warriors’ official roster.
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Lin’s Recent Basketball Journey
GettyFormer NBA player Jeremy Lin of the US attends an introductory press conference held by his new team Beijing Shougang in Beijing on September 26, 2019.
During the 2018-19 NBA season, Lin joined the Toronto Raptors who eventually became the NBA champions. The team was led by Kyle Lowry and now Los Angeles Clippers star forward Kawhi Leonard.
Yet Lin had mixed feelings about winning the title. Ever since becoming a breakout star with the Knicks, Lin has looked to contribute in a major way to his team’s success. With the Raptors, he played behind Lowry and guard Fred Van Fleet sparingly.
In discussing what the experience was like, he sounded off saying it was “a championship that I don’t feel like I really earned.”
In English there’s a saying and it says once you hit rock bottom, the only way is up. But rock bottom just seems to keep getting more and more rock bottom for me. So, free agency has been tough. Because I feel like in some ways the NBA’s kind of given up on me.
After the season I had to get ready for this Asia trip and it was the last thing I wanted to do,” Lin said. “Because I knew for six weeks I would have to just put on a smile. I would have to talk about a championship that I don’t feel like I really earned. I would have to talk about a [basketball] future I don’t know if I want to have. And honestly it’s just embarrassing. It’s tough.
I’m here to just tell you don’t give up.
For those of you who are working hard but you don’t see results – don’t give up.
Where Lin Fits In
GettyCHARLOTTE, NC – MARCH 21: Jeremy Lin #7 of the Charlotte Hornets during their game at Time Warner Cable Arena on March 21, 2016 in Charlotte, North Carolina.NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
Fortunately for Lin, Golden State provides a great opportunity for him to make a splash once again in the NBA. The Warriors were originally slated to compete against the Lakers for the title as the best team in the western conference. However, all of that changed once their All-Star guard Klay Thompson tore his right Achilles just hours before the 2020 NBA Draft.
Since the injury, the Warriors have traded for former Phoenix Suns swingman Kelly Oubre Jr., signed former Boston Celtic Brad Wanamaker, signed former Laker Kent Bazemore, and drafted former Memphis Tigers center James Wiseman second overall.
For Lin, the Warriors provide the opportunity for him to shine in a low-pressure environment. Not having to shoulder his future teammates Steph Curry and Draymond Green’s weight of expectations he can add a valuable scoring punch and be a reliable playmaker for the team’s second unit.
As the Warriors move further away from last season’s reliance on younger players adding someone with the veteran savvy of Lin and the need to prove himself once again, he may be added to the list of those who can shine brighter than usual this season.
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Warriors Finalizing Deal For Former Los Angeles Laker And Champion