Former Raptor Jeremy Lin hits new 'rock bottom' in free agency

Free agency has become one of, if not, the most exciting time in the NBA calendar. New deals are reported before the actual start time, players are scheming to figure out who they want to team up with, and the shifting of these allegiances brings an entirely new dynamic to the upcoming season

There is another side to it, though, for players who aren’t quite in demand, and a former Toronto Raptor shared what that’s like. At an event in Taiwan, NBA champion and unsigned guard Jeremy Lin shared his emotional and honest feelings towards the free agency period.

“There’s a saying, and it says once you hit rock bottom, the only way is up,” Lin said. “But, rock bottom just seems to keep getting more and more rock bottom for me.

“So, free agency has been tough. ‘Cause I feel like, in some ways, the NBA has kind of given up on me.”

This is a sobering reality for a player who once commanded the attention of the league from the “Mecca of Basketball” no less in New York, bringing ‘Linsanity’ to the Knicks and Madison Square Garden with a magical run that saw him average 26.8 points per game over a six-game winning streak including a game-winner in Toronto that had the away fans on their feet.

Lin was traded to the Raptors from Atlanta last season, where he was relegated behind Kyle Lowry and Fred VanVleet throughout their championship run. He only recorded 27 total minutes in the postseason, not helping his value much going into free agency.

He hasn’t generated much interest in the league since his contract expired although Euroleague champs CSKA Moscow are reportedly targeting Lin. He has been open to continuing his career overseas in Asia, and one can only hope he gets back to doing what he loves most soon enough.

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