Jeremy Lin is coming home

The Golden State Warriors are bringing back an old friend: point guard Jeremy Lin. According to a report from The Athletic’s Shams Charania, Lin is finalizing a deal with the Warriors, which is just waiting on a letter of clearance from the Chinese Basketball Association, where he had been under contract.

And according to The Athletic’s Anthony Slater, the deal is an Exhibit 10 contract, with Charania adding that he’ll start the year in the G League.

Lin was raised in Palo Alto, and starred at Palo Alto High School. He made his NBA debut with the Warriors during the 2010-11 season, playing 29 games with stellar defense.

He most recently played in the 2018-19 season, when he averaged 9.6 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game for the Atlanta Hawks and Toronto Raptors. He’s not a great shooter, but he’s able to score reliably with league-average efficiency, and is known for being a smart player, good leader, and strong defender.

With an Exhibit 10 contract, Lin will be financially incentivized to stay in the system with the Warriors’ G League affiliate, the Santa Cruz Warriors. If he plays well, or if the Warriors find themselves needing another body, he can be signed to an NBA contract at any point.

Wes Goldberg of the Bay Area News Group notes that, for now, Lin will be behind second-round pick and two-way contract Nico Mannion on the point guard pecking order if the Warriors have a spot that needs filling.

We might not actually see Lin in a Warriors jersey, but welcome back anyway. It’s good to have you.