NBA Rumors: Jeremy Lin, Jamal Crawford Tagged As Possible Reinforcements For LA Lakers

More options are being offered on Rob Pelinka’s table as the NBA is reportedly planning to allow teams to add slots for reinforcements prior to the season’s resumption on July 31 in Orlando. Following a report about DeMarcus Cousins’ potential return to Los Angeles ahead of the Disney World joust, a fresh rumor now links the Lakers to Jeremy Lin and Jamal Crawford.

It’s interesting to know whether the Lakers could keep playing the way they did prior to the hiatus in March. It will not be revealed until LeBron James and crew hit the hardcourt again at the season's restart in July, the format of which would basically give teams a short window to shift into their playoff mode.

And if rust kicks in and they fail to find their old form, one option that the Lakers can look into is adding more weapons on their sidelines. Enter Lin and Crawford, both of whom have insisted that they still intend to come back in the NBA.

Lin is currently signed with the Beijing Ducks in the Chinese Basketball Association where he has been playing as if he was still the same lethal guy who gave birth to “Linsanity” eight years ago. Averaging 24.2 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 5.8 assists per game on 34.2 minutes, the 31-year-old basketball phenom was named an All-Star in the Chinese league. Given the said numbers across the board, it would not be surprising if he’s given a spot back in the purple and gold.

“Jeremy Lin has a point. The league shouldn’t have given up on him. He’s better than plenty of the backup point guards that made a roster this season, and even though the Linsanity tenure is far behind him, he can still be a great contributor for the Lakers,” Fadeaway World’s Ernesto Cova wrote.

The 40-year-old Crawford, meanwhile, is the more vocal one in terms of wanting to come back and play competitive basketball again.

“I’ve been training as if I’m playing,” Crawford told ESPN in an interview last March, per NBC Sports. “I work out every single day. I was working out today actually and I’ve always loved it. I know I can help, in some regards, in some capacity.”

A three-time sixth man of the year, Crawford is a proven offensive weapon who could be an instant spark plug off the bench for the Lakers, not to mention the on-court savvy that he gained from 19 years playing in the NBA.

“Jamal Crawford deserves a roster in the NBA. I mean, he literally dropped 51 points the last time he played in the league and is one of the craftiest Sixth Men we’ve ever seen. He continues to embarrass defenders in ProAm leagues and still has plenty left in the gas,” Cove added.

“The Lakers need another ball-handler that could take playmaking duties off LeBron James. They also need someone that can create his own shot, play off the ball, and knockdown threes. Jamal Crawford happens to check all the boxes. Sign the man.”

Crawford last played for the Phoenix Suns in the 2018-2019 season where he 7.9 points and 3.6 assists on 39.7 percent shooting in 18.9 minutes per game.

The Lakers are expected to hit training camp soon, if they aren’t already, in preparation for their championship push this year. With less than two months left before the NBA officially gets back, it would not be far-fetched to see Vogel’s line-up fortified with more destructive reinforcements that would spell nightmare for the rest of the league.