NBA Rumors: Los Angeles Clippers Could Round Out Title-Contending Roster By Picking Up Jeremy Lin

The Los Angeles Clippers have had a busy summer of acquiring superstars, but there may be one more veteran on the way to round out the roster — Jeremy Lin.

The Clippers pulled off the shocker of the summer when in one fell swoop they landed Kawhi Leonard in free agency and orchestrated a blockbuster trade, landing Paul George from the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Clippers are still a bit thin in the backcourt, with Patrick Beverley the only true point guard on the roster and recent signee Derrick Walton behind him on the depth chart, the USA Today‘s Hoops Hype noted.

That makes the Clippers a top contender to sign Lin, who is a free agent after a title run with the Toronto Raptors in which he saw the court for just 27 minutes over the course of the entire playoffs and only one minute during the NBA Finals.

As the Hoops Hype report noted, the Clippers would be a logical destination for an experienced guard like Lin, even if it wouldn’t mean big playing time.

“If Los Angeles decides they want a more established backup ball-handler, they could look to someone like Lin to take over that role,” the report speculated.

“He might not get as much playing time as he would in a different situation, but Lin’s best bet to stick at this point in his career is to find his way onto a contender and accept a minimal role while staying ready in case there’s an injury, or something of the sort that will give him exposure on an elite team.”

As Marc Stein of the New York Times noted, the sharp decline in playing time was a sign that Lin would struggle in free agency. Stein noted that Lin is not as explosive as he once was, leading to some uncertainty among teams looking for guard depth.

“The reality is that Lin’s movement, at nearly 31, isn’t what it once was,” Stein noted. “Teams are unsure if he still has the mobility to play such a demanding position.”

Stein noted that Lin would be near the top of the list of free agent point guards, but may have to be patient to find a new team. He noted that Lin may stay on the free agent heap until injuries strike another team at some point in the preseason or early on in the year.

Jeremy Lin opens up ? pic.twitter.com/6PPAHoCH5X

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) July 28, 2019

Jeremy Lin has had a difficult time with the lack of interest, fighting back tears in an appearance in Taiwan in which he said he felt the league had turned its back on him.