NBA Rumors: Golden State Warriors fail to complete signing of Jeremy Lin before waiver deadline

The Golden State Warriors will no longer be able to secure the rights to Jeremy Lin for their G League affiliate as per the latest NBA rumors. A deal had initially been agreed upon by both parties.

As per Shams Charania of The Athletic, the Warriors intended to sign and waive Lin for his eventual passage to the Santa Cruz Warriors. However, a letter of clearance from the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) could not be procured in time to complete the process before the waiver deadline on Saturday.

Sources: Letter of Clearance didn’t arrive in time for Jeremy Lin to sign-and-waive with Warriors before tonight’s waiver deadline. https://t.co/m7Ywoq8gEv
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) December 20, 2020

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After winning the NBA Championship with Toronto Raptors in 2019, Jeremy Lin spent one season with the Beijing Ducks in the CBA. He averaged 22.3 points, 5.6 assists, and 5.7 rebounds during this time. He announced his intentions of returning to the NBA known back in September.

A couple of months later, Jeremy Lin was spotted working out with Stephen Curry and other Golden State Warriors players. A deal was eventually reported, but it wasn't completed.

NBA Rumors: What's next for the Golden State Warriors and Jeremy Lin?

Golden State Warriors v Sacramento Kings

The Golden State Warriors have already rolled the dice on a backup plan of action for the time being. They have signed and waived Elijah Pemberton. Pemberton has represented Hofstra University for four years and went undrafted in the 2020 NBA Draft.

The Warriors understood Lin’s letter of clearance would be a hurdle and pushed to receive it through tonight. Golden State is now signing-and-waiving rookie Elijah Pemberton of Hofstra, sources said. Pemberton will play with Golden State’s affiliate, Santa Cruz. https://t.co/XPrfpcUgdP
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) December 20, 2020

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After this move, the Golden State Warriors would be entering the new season with a full roster, meaning that they no longer will be able to sign and waive Jeremy Lin.

While this certainly is bad news for Linsanity, it's still not the end of the world for him. He wants to get back into the NBA and given that he agreed to a minor deal with the Warriors, he should be able to land a similar deal elsewhere to stay closer to the league.

Jeremy Lin showcased an improvement in his defensive capabilities while playing for the Beijing Ducks. He has always been a reliable option to get a few buckets off the bench. So he has the necessary skills to be a part of the NBA.

Also read: 3 reasons why the Golden State Warriors may not make the 2021 NBA Playoffs