In a recent interview with a Chinese website, Jeremy Lin said that five of his former teammates asked him about joining the Brooklyn Nets.
In an interview with JD.com (translated by NetsDaily), Jeremy Lin said that his former teammates have contacted him and asked about joining the Brooklyn Nets. According to the translation , Lin remarked “last season five former teammates texted him to ask whether the Nets could trade for them.”
Lin did not specify any former teammates. Regardless, there are a few names who have played with Brooklyn’s point guard in the past that are about to enter free agency this offseason; Patrick Patterson, Omri Casspi, Aaron Brooks, Donatas Montiejunas who the Nets had interest in earlier in the season and former Nets power forward Thomas Robinson just to name a few.
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In the same interview, Lin praised the Nets team-oriented culture and said that playing with selfish teammates is “awful.” Passing the ball, being happy for a teammate’s success and playing for the team is not always the given situation, according to Lin.
It isn’t hard to wonder who the point guard was referring to. Lin was likely referring to his time with the New York Knicks and Los Angeles Lakers.
In December, reports came out that Montiejunas had had signed a four-year deal with the Nets for $37 million. The Houston Rockets would match that deal but eventually released the Lithuanian big man. Brooklyn was not allowed to sign Montiejunas once he was released. Due to a clause in the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement, teams that have their offer sheet matched cannot sign that player for a year.
Robinson averaged four points and five rebounds in 12.9 minutes through 71 games (7 starts) with the Brooklyn Nets. He opted-out of his contract at the end of the 2015-2016 season. The former Kansas star is only 26-years-old. Unlike his last stint in Brooklyn, the Nets do have a developmental team now. Robinson could sign with the Long Island Nets if no NBA team offers him a contract.
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Consider that the Nets seem content with Rondae Hollis-Jefferson getting significant minutes at the power forward position. The team is also running a more three-point oriented offense. It remains to be seen how realistic T-Rob returning to the Nets might be.
The Nets will have two first-round selections in the upcoming NBA Draft. They should also have around $30 million in cap space to work with this offseason.