NBA Rumors: Jeremy Lin Could Serve As Stephen Curry’s Primary Backup In 2019-20 Season, ‘HoopsHype’ Suggests
After nine years of playing in the NBA, Jeremy Lin finally won his first NBA championship title when the Toronto Raptors dethroned the Golden State Warriors in the 2018-19 season. Unfortunately, more than a month since he became an unrestricted free agent, the Asian-American guard is yet to find a new team that will give him the opportunity to continue his pro basketball career. Lin may no longer be able to bring “Linsanity” back, but he definitely knows that he still has lots of gas left in his tank.
Jeremy Lin will be a great addition to an NBA team that needs a backcourt boost in their second unit. Frank Urbina of HoopsHype recently created a list of potential landing spots for Lin in the 2019 free agency. Among the NBA teams whom Urbina believes could benefit from signing Lin is the Golden State Warriors.
“A reunion nearly 10 years later would not only make for a good story, it could benefit Golden State, as they’re already down one guard for a good chunk of the season due to injury (Klay Thompson) and are lacking in the backup point guard department outside of the still-unproven Jacob Evans. With Shaun Livingston’s departure and D’Angelo Russell projected to spend a lot of his time playing alongside Stephen Curry rather than backing him up, the Warriors could use a backup point guard capable of running a steady second-unit offense. Lin could be that guy.”
Jeremy Lin opens up ? pic.twitter.com/6PPAHoCH5X
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) July 28, 2019
It would definitely be a nice thing to see Jeremy Lin play for the team that gave him the opportunity to play in the NBA. After going undrafted in the 2010 Draft, the Warriors took a chance on Lin and gave him a two-year contract. In his lone season with the Warriors, the veteran point guard played 29 games and averaged 2.6 points and 1.4 assists while shooting 38.9 percent from beyond the arc.
A reunion with Jeremy Lin somewhat makes sense for the Warriors, especially after they lost several veteran role players this summer. After failing to win their third consecutive NBA championship title, the Warriors didn’t only lose Kevin Durant but also Andre Iguodala and Shaun Livingston. Lin could fill the void left by Livingston in the Warriors’ backcourt where he could serve as the primary backup for All-Star point guard Stephen Curry.
With D’Angelo Russell expected to temporarily serve as Stephen Curry’s backcourt partner while Klay Thompson is recovering from an injury, Jeremy Lin could receive a significant role in the Warriors’ second unit. As of now, it remains unknown if the Warriors have a legitimate interest in bringing Lin back to Golden State. As Urbina noted, other potential landing spots for Lin include the Los Angeles Clippers, Charlotte Hornets, and the Miami Heat.