Warriors Rumors: Jeremy Lin Refutes Report That He's Finalizing Contract with GS

A season removed from winning an NBA championship with the Toronto Raptors, Jeremy Lin is reportedly set to return from the Chinese Basketball Association to sign with the Golden State Warriors, where he'll open the 2020-21 season in the G League.

Shams Charania of Stadium and The Athletic reported Friday the sides are "finalizing" a contract while waiting on a letter of clearance from the CBA. Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated noted his likely placement with the G League's Santa Cruz Warriors.

However, Lin refuted the report, saying no decisions have been made.

The 32-year-old signed with the Beijing Ducks in August 2019 after he failed to land with an NBA team in free agency last offseason. He decided he would attempt a return to the NBA after leading the Ducks to the semifinals of the CBA playoffs. The California native announced his decision in a video on Weibo, a Chinese social media platform where he has 7 million followers, on Sept. 15:

"This decision has really been the hardest in my life. 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 has 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, and I have to chase this."

Alex Kennedy of BasketballNews.com reported Nov. 21 that "contenders" were "showing interest" in Lin, who was photographed by Jordan Jiminez working out with Stephen Curry and other members of the Warriors at the University of San Francisco (h/t Marcus White of NBC Sports Bay Area).

Around the same time, he launched a signature basketball shoe with Chinese brand Xtep Sports. In a documentary celebrating the release of the shoe, Lin further explained his desire to return to the league (h/t Jonathan White of the South China Morning Post):

"I still have tomorrow and I still have this next season and my goal is to prepare and come out and just dominate and you know I'm coming in with this 'nothing will stop me' mentality. I'm chasing this. I want to be the best version of myself as a basketball player. And as a human. I want to be the best version of myself."

Kennedy also reported that Lin worked out with Brooklyn Nets players, including Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.

After gaining fame in his second NBA season as a member of the New York Knicks, when he sparked the Linsanity phenomenon in 2012, Lin never found the same success on the court. The 6'3" guard continued as a journeyman through the league, with stints in Houston, Los Angeles (Lakers), Charlotte and Brooklyn before splitting the 2018-19 season in Atlanta and Toronto.

With the Raptors, the Harvard product averaged 7.0 points and 2.2 assists while playing 18.8 minutes in 23 games. He played in just eight games during the team's postseason run for no more than six minutes, and his only appearance in the Finals came for 51 seconds as the Raptors beat the Warriors by 14 in Game 3.

Lin found his stride once more with the Ducks this season, posting 22.3 points per game with 5.6 assists and 1.8 steals in 39 regular-season appearances, shooting 49.1 percent from the field.

They were eliminated from the CBA playoffs by the Guangdong Southern Tigers in August.

Despite success in the CBA, Lin said in a television appearance in October that he experienced anxiety and fear of possible rejection from his second league, which came to a head in January when he was taken out of the lineup to accommodate replacements for injuries in accordance with CBA foreign player rules, per South China Morning Post.

"This was when I had to come face to face with my greatest fear as a basketball player: that I would lose it all, completely unwanted and unneeded," he said. "Coming off of last summer where I had zero contract offers and I had that feeling where I lost my entire dream and I am completely unwanted, I start to spiral."

He said he overcame his fear when he returned to the U.S. during the CBA's shutdown amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

In an Instagram post in October, Lin said a lack of interest from NBA teams sent him to "rock bottom," but in an effort to be "authentic," he needed to try for a return to the league.

"I felt like the thing that required more faith was to put everything that was comfortable that I knew, that I had, that I worked for, to put that aside and go all in for the NBA, and so that's what I'm doing," he said.

It would certainly benefit the Warriors if Lin were able to match the intensity of his 2011-12 season, but at least he brings NBA experience—and likely plenty of media attention. He'll provide backcourt depth if further injuries arise after Klay Thompson suffered a season-ending torn Achilles in November.