Los Angeles Lakers like what Jeremy Lin brings to roster
By Bryan Rose
A free agent to be at season end, many would assume that Jeremy Lin could be nothing more than a one and done player for the Los Angeles Lakers.
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With Steve Nash ailing and little other competition, Lin should see a significant amount of playing time which figures to boost his free agent value. Given that, it’s understandable he could chase the money at season end. However, might the Los Angeles Lakers have grander intentions for Jeremy Lin? It sounds that way, at least according to head coach Byron Scott who believes Jeremy Lin will fit well with what the Lakers are attempting to do.
“Jeremy is a guy who I like. I coached against him, and I love that he’s not afraid of the moment. He doesn’t mind taking big shots, and he’s very gritty, tough and intelligent,” Scott said. “Those are all things I think will fit well with things we’re trying to do.”
The main issue moving forward is going to be money. How much will Jeremy Lin command (especially if he has a productive season) and how much are the Los Angeles Lakers going to be willing to invest? It’s been said that the Lakers prefer to put themselves in position to sign a max free agent and extending Lin would put a damper on that idea.
They’re likely to face a difficult decision come season end regarding their desire to keep Jeremy Lin, though maybe they’ll be able to convince him to take a backloaded contract which would allow them to have more available funds for free agency.