Jeremy Lin could be returning to New York ... to play for the Brooklyn Nets.
According to the Charlotte Observer's Rick Bonnell, the Nets could be making a "hard-sell" to get Lin to sign in Brooklyn. The Nets have plenty of cap space this offseason and signing a marquee name like Lin could help them with their fans while also giving them some respectability around the league. And as CBS Sports' Zach Harper broke down, Lin would actually be a good fit in Brooklyn:
The Nets have had two goals since Mikhail Prokhorov purchased the team: 1) Become a brand you can sell and 2) Become a brand you can sell that ticks off the Knicks. A pursuit of Lin not only accomplishes that criteria but it also adds some much-needed depth at the point guard position. Sean Marks is trying to rebuild a roster without many assets. He has Jarrett Jack as the incumbent point guard, Shane Larkin as a free agent and just drafted Caris LeVert as a combo guard, who Marks would like to see become the point guard of the future. That's where Lin fits in perfectly.
Bringing him back to the New York area gives a nice pick-and-roll combination with Brook Lopez. It gives this team a PG who can play alongside both LeVert or Jack. The Nets have a lot of cap room, so they can afford to throw some of that toward lineup versatility that Marks would love to bring in from his days with the San Antonio Spurs. The Nets also don't have a lot of available talent, so getting some0ne like Lin just increases the skill level on the roster, especially if Lin rediscovers his 3-point shot.
Besides being a good fit basketball wise and having the necessary cap space to sign Lin, new Nets coach Kenny Atkinson already has a relationship with the versatile guard. Atkinson was an assistant coach on the Knicks when Linsanity happened and the two developed a strong rapport. Lin even offered a bit of high praise for Atkinson, shortly after the Nets hired him.
From Andrew Keh of the New York Times:
"I've kind of been saying it was just a matter of time for him because I know how good he is, I know how much he was there for me in New York," Lin said. "When you're around him, you kind of understand there's something different about him: his energy, his passion, the juice he approaches his work with."
Lin added: "He doesn't leave any stone unturned. He's always the first one in, and I'm saying first one in by, like, hours."
Lin's comments about Atkinson doesn't mean he will automatically sign with the Nets. But the player-coach relationship does matter and if Lin already gets along with Atkinson plus the Nets offer a large contract, he could be Brooklyn bound this summer.
