New York Knicks Rumors: Jeremy Lin Reunion Possible?


With the NBA free agency period officially underway, a flurry of rumors will present themselves regarding several players.

The latest on free agent point guard Jeremy Lin is that his former team, the New York Knicks may be a possible destination for him, according to Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders.

Lin, 26, spent last season out west with the Los Angeles Lakers for a season that went down as the worst in franchise history. While the Harvard product has not been able to replicate his memorable run with the Knicks from 2011-2012 in which he helped lead the team to the playoffs, Lin remains a consistent asset.

In the three seasons since leaving New York, Lin has averaged over 11 PPG as both a starter and reserve player. For his career, he has averaged 11.7 PPG during his five-year stint in the NBA. Therefore, his time with the Knicks in which he averaged 14.6 PPG and 6.2 APG may be an outlier but does not devalue his skills.

The Knicks are rumored to be interested in signing fellow free agent point guard Aaron Affalo to take over the starting role. Such a move would block Lin from returning to New York as a starter but it may be an ideal situation. For his career, Lin has averaged sub-par assist totals as a point guard with just 4.8 APG. Being an offensive minded player, Lin may be an ideal option off the bench for the Knicks.

The most telling tale of Lin’s game is his shooting ability. This past season, Lin shot 36.9 percent from three-point range through 74 games, a career high. The ability to knock down shots and average double digits as a reserve makes Lin an appealing player to several teams.

In fact, Chris Broussard of ESPN.com reports that another California team, the Sacramento Kings are interested in signing Lin. He is one of many potential targets for the team and might receive a more prominent role in Sacramento, something he wasn’t able to receive with the Lakers

Yet, Lin told Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times that he does believe a return to the Lakers is something he views both as viable and ideal for him.

“Yeah, that would be great. There’s so much that needs to happen, but that’s definitely an option for me.”

But realistically, a return to the team he spent last season with remains unlikely. A change of scenery, perhaps back to where he enjoyed his biggest success will be the catalyst of Lin being able to recapture his prior glory.

With big names such as Kevin Love, LaMarcus Aldridge and Dwayne Wade headlining the free agent class of the 2015 offseason, Lin will be a complimentary piece to fill out a roster rather than a cornerstone to build around.

[Photo by Chris Chambers/Getty Images]

Share this article: New York Knicks Rumors: Jeremy Lin Reunion Possible?
More from Inquisitr