Summer Moves Jeremy Lin Closer to NBA Deal

When former Harvard co-captain Jeremy Lin arrived in Las Vegas to play for the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Summer League earlier this month, his chances of inking an NBA contract at the end of the competition seemed like a long shot. Now—five games later—Lin is weighing contract offers from three NBA teams—the Mavericks, the Los Angeles Lakers, and an Eastern Conference team—and could be making a decision as soon as today, according to ESPNDallas.com.

“My agent has been talking to different teams, and some teams have actually offered, so that’s what we’re looking at right now,” Lin told KESN-FM on Thursday. “I can't really say the names of the teams–orders from my agent.”

The Mavericks—the first team to offer Lin a spot on its summer league roster—could be a likely landing spot for the 6’3” point guard. If Lin signs with Dallas, he could spend a season in the NBA Development League—the NBA’s minor league—playing for the Texas Legends, the Mavericks’ affiliate, ESPN’s Jeff Caplan reported.

“I appreciate everything that Dallas has done for me,” Lin said on KESN-FM. “I would love to stay in Dallas, but I can't go into details on what their interest level is.”

In his five games playing on the Mavericks’ summer league squad, Lin became a fan favorite, averaging 9.8 points, 3.2 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.2 steals in 19 minutes per game. But Lin’s performance didn’t just sit well with fans—it caught the eyes of NBA scouts and coaches too.

“I think he did pretty well,” said NBA Assistant Director of Scouting Ryan Blake. “I like the way he competed. Teams are looking for a player that is confident, runs the team, has leadership, and, most importantly, plays defense.”

Lin has seemed to win fans over more with his hustle and intensity than his scoring. In Dallas’s final contest, Lin continued to attack the basket with ferocity despite his team holding a 30-point advantage.

“He’s going harder than I’ve ever seen him go before—and he went hard,” said Lin’s former teammate, rising Harvard sophomore Brandyn Curry. “He’s definitely quicker, faster, and a lot more aggressive. I think he’s focused—he knows a lot of people don’t respect him.”

Lin gained much respect in the NBA world on July 15 when he battled John Wall, the No. 1 overall pick in June’s NBA draft, throughout the fourth quarter of the Mavericks contest against the Washington Wizards. While the Mavericks came away with the loss, Lin held his own against the former Kentucky standout, scoring 11 points in the fourth quarter, including a three pointer over Wall and a dunk in transition.

“I think he did very well [against Wall],” said Curry, who played against Wall as a junior in high school when the two players were ranked the No.1 and No. 2 high school point guards in North Carolina. “A lot of people were talking about [Lin] around here [after that game]. I tried to tell everyone when I got home that he was the real deal. He’s just being Jeremy Lin. “

While Lin demonstrated his ability to attack the basket and to defend on the perimeter throughout the summer league, scouts would like to see him shore up his outside jump shot and ball handling skills. In his five summer league contests, Lin attempted just three shots from beyond the arc—of which he made two—and turned it over at a rate of 3.2 per game.

“I think he needs to strengthen his strengths and strengthen his concerns ,” Blake said. “Those are the biggest attributes to getting to the next level and staying at the next level.”

Lin plans to announce which team he is signing with in the near future, according to ESPNDallas.com. Following his announcement, Lin will continue to train throughout the summer before attending his team’s training camp in the fall. After training camp, Lin will likely compete in the NBA preseason—a handful of games that give players a chance to tune up for the regular season and NBA executives a chance to make final roster decisions.

If Lin does not make a final NBA roster, he could either play in the NBA Development League, or take his skills overseas.

But so far, Lin has been doing what he needs to do to keep wearing an NBA uniform.