With a lot of salary cap money available and plenty of needs that have to be met in the offseason, the LA Lakers are going to make a lot of moves in NBA free agency this summer. There are a number of big targets on their radar and the ultimate is Kevin Durant, but many teams will be chasing after him. The Lakers may do better looking at smaller targets and one could be had by offering a max deal to Jeremy Lin in order to get him to return.

Throughout his career, Jeremy Lin has never been in one place for very long, but that has never seemed to matter much to him. He’s become a better player with each and every stop on his tour of the NBA, and this past season with the Charlotte Hornets stood out more than others.

With that, it looks like Lin is in prime position to ask for a max offer deal from any NBA team, and the Lakers could be the team to give it to him. If Los Angeles is going to go after him, though, they need to act fast as some of Lin’s other former teams are interested in him as well.

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Gospel Herald is reporting that Charlotte Hornet’s successful run into the playoffs ended up putting Lin in the spotlight and the Lakers have taken notice. In 2015, Jeremy Lin averaged 11.7 points, 3.0 assists, and 3.2 rebounds-per-game for a surprising Hornets’ team that impressed a lot of people.

Lin played one season with the Lakers before signing with Charlotte, and it’s quite possible that Los Angeles may look to bring him back again. The loss of Kobe Bryant due to retirement and lack of veteran leadership means that Lin would immediately fill a big void and become a huge mentor for young D’Angelo Russell.

Los Angeles could very well issue out an impressive offer that would tempt Jeremy Lin, but a few other teams are already taking looks at him for NBA free agency.

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According to The Dream Shake, the Houston Rockets bringing in Mike D’Antoni as their new head coach is a very good indication that Lin will give them a long look in free agency. Both are still very close, and Lin would be an excellent fit in a Rockets’ line-up that could use his speed and agility.

The possible and expected loss of Dwight Howard in free agency could also free up a lot of money that would make the signing of Jeremy Lin even easier.

If the Rockets and Hornets weren’t enough competition for the Lakers, Sportsrageous is reporting that the New York Knicks are also interesting in bringing Jeremy Lin back. Another former team of Lin’s, Phil Jackson has targeted both him and Rajon Rondo to help build a better team around Carmelo Anthony and bolster the offense.

New Knicks’ head coach Jeff Hornacek is going to run a traditional-style offensive system that actually requires two point guards, and they need to desperately upgrade that position. If they’re able to land both Lin and Rondo, the Knicks could instantly become contenders in the Eastern Conference.

It’s no big surprise that the LA Lakers need to make a lot of changes and they have the money to spend, but they need to do it wisely. After the worst season in franchise history, the Lakers not only need to rebound but immediately become playoff contenders. Many pieces of the puzzle are missing and they have plenty of salary cap space to offer a max deal to a player like Jeremy Lin who knows the system and is deserving of it.

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