NBA Rumors: Jeremy Lin Embarks On Ambitious High-Risk Return

Jeremy Lin spent most of the last NBA season playing in the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) with the Beijing Ducks. Depressed that he was not picked up by other teams, the 32-year-old has not completely shut the door on an NBA return.

Lin announced on Weibo (via Channel News Asia) that he is leaving the Beijing Ducks and the CBA to try his luck in the NBA. At his age, it may be a risky move on his part as he joins a long list of guards who are likely younger than him.

"This decision has really been the hardest in my life," Lin said. "Every morning I would wake up at 4 a.m. or 5 a.m., thinking, thinking and thinking all the time. In the end, although Shougang [the Ducks] have treated me incredibly well ... giving me everything I wanted, in the end, I feel that I still have NBA dreams. I still have time to play [there] and I have to chase this."

To his credit, Lin did put up decent numbers with the Ducks. He normed 22.3 points, 5.7 rebounds and 5.6 assists in 32.1 minutes of action per Basketball-Reference. However, these numbers pale if compared to the output of other former NBA stars. Most practically double or even triple their production, raising yet another concern on Linsanity’s chances of making the NBA.

The last time Lin played in the NBA was with the Toronto Raptors. He was part of the 2019-20 NBA champion team but was hardly a factor. His best years came when he was with the New York Knicks during the 2011-12 season. But things just did not go his way from there.

He would end up moving from one club to another. He jumped to the Houston Rockets where he hardly made an impact. He joined the Los Angeles Lakers, another club where he failed to hit his stride.

Lin was somehow able to recall his old form with the Charlotte Hornets. That paved the way for a move to the Brooklyn Nets where he hardly saw action due to injuries. He got the chance to revive his career with the Atlanta Hawks but would, later on, be waived.

Heading into the short offseason, Lin is taking quite a gamble. If things don’t pan out, the American-Asian may just end up going back to the CBA.