Lin '10 Will Head West to Lakers

Jeremy Lin ’10 has suited up for “The City That Never Sleeps”, and now it’s time for him to wear the uniform of the City of Angels.

According to Yahoo Sports’ Adrian Wojnarowski, the Houston Rockets traded the former Harvard men’s basketball superstar to the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday afternoon. The deal was one of a surfeit of NBA moves that fell into place once LeBron James announced that he was returning to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Lin was the central cog in a deal that also handed the Lakers a 2015 first-round draft pick. For its part, Los Angeles only gave up the rights to an overseas player alongside cash considerations.

On the Lakers, Lin will find himself in a three-way point guard battle for playing time. Currently, the Lakers have under contract both two-time MVP Steve Nash and sharp-shooter Kendall Marshall, the latter of whom was sitting in the Development League until LA picked him up in the 2013-2014 season.

However, with Nash’s age and recent injuries—he sat out 67 games last year with an assortment of back and hamstring ailments—Lin will have the possibility of logging serious minutes with the Purple and Gold.

In addition to playing for one of the most storied franchises in NBA history, Lin will also get the chance to hoop alongside franchise darling Kobe Bryant. Traditionally, Bryant’s backcourt-mates have had increased operating room on the offensive end as defenses collapse around the two-guard—a boon and an opportunity for Lin.

Lin will have just one year to prove himself to Los Angeles, as his back-loaded $14 million contract is up following the 2014-2015 season. But Lin has never needed long to prove himself, and for a Lakers squad that just had its worst season ever, a little Linsanity might be just the spark that the team needs.

—Check thecrimson.com for updates.

—Staff writer Juliet Spies-Gans can be reached at juliet.spies-gans@thecrimson.com.