Jeremy Lin is being mentioned again in several trade talks heading into the deadline, but the Los Angeles Lakers point guard is not worried about rumors linking him to a move to another team Thursday.
Lin, who was acquired by the Lakers in a trade with the Houston Rockets during the offseason, is reportedly being shopped by Los Angeles in the hope of getting future assets they can use in their rebuilding.
The 26-year-old point guard admitted that he has been hearing a lot over the past several days, but he insisted that he is not thinking about those trade rumors, knowing that he cannot control it. Instead, Lin is focused on his impending free agency, where he will have a say about his future.
"I'm not worried about that," Lin told InsideSoCal when asked about the possibility of being traded on Thursday. "Free agency is one of those situations where you have more control. But until then, you really don't have control on your behalf. The biggest thing I want to do is end things a different way than what we're going with the Lakers."
Lin was named starter heading into the 2014-15 NBA season after veteran point guard Steve Nash went down with a season-ending injury, but lost his starting spot later in the season.
From being the team's starting point guard, Lin became a backup to rookie playmaker Jordan Clarkson, who has been showing flashes of brilliance over the past several weeks, which made a trade involving Lin highly likely.
Lin has made it no secret that he is frustrated with his new role. And in an interview with the Los Angeles Newspaper Group, the former Harvard University standout also hinted that he wants to get a bigger role elsewhere, but added that he will continue giving his all in case the Lakers keep him beyond the deadline.
"I want to be able to have fun and play wherever I am," Lin said. "I can't control what they do. If I'm here, I'll definitely give it my all. If they trade me, I'll definitely give it my all wherever I am."
Recent reports indicated that there is a strong chance the Lakers will keep Lin for the rest of the season - not because they want him, but because of the weak market for the fifth-year guard.
Sean Deveney of Sporting News recently reported that the Lakers are not receiving attractive offers because of Lin's inconsistencies this season. The Palo Alto, California native is averaging 10.2 points to go along with 4.6 assists and 2.4 rebounds. Most teams are convinced that paying Lin $14.9 million is too much based on his numbers this season.
