Lin's prospects grow with Mavs squad

That nice little story about Ivy Leaguer Jeremy Lin getting a shot with the Dallas Mavericks' summer league team is about to get serious.

Lin is on the verge of signing an NBA contract, and it could be with the Mavericks, who view him as an intriguing developmental point guard and a strong candidate to run the club's new D-League affiliate that begins play this fall in Frisco.

"We're in discussions as we speak," Mavs president of basketball operations Donnie Nelson said Friday afternoon. "We are extremely interested in him as a young player."
Suddenly, the player deemed too flawed in most major areas to survive in the NBA is in contract discussions with three teams, according to league sources. The Los Angeles Lakers are believed to be one, with an Eastern Conference team the other.

"We know we could lose him just as easily," Nelson said.

Lin's agent, Roger Montgomery, said additional teams inquired about the Harvard graduate Friday after Lin's exceptional effort Thursday night when he battled toe-to-toe with John Wall, the Washington Wizards' No. 1 overall draft pick. While those other teams could be considered, the 6-foot-3, 200-pound Lin is studying the roster fit of the three frontrunners. Montgomery and Nelson are expected to talk in the next 48 hours, with Lin's decision expected soon afterward.

"I haven't slept much in a while. It's been really exciting," Lin said. "Obviously, it's a dream come true and it's great to be able to get that offer now in the summer league than have to go through training camp. I can't remember the last time I've had problems sleeping. It's been a crazy day or two."

If financial offers and plans for Lin's development are relatively equal, he seems to have an affinity for the Mavs and Nelson, who was the first NBA executive to latch onto him in April at the Portsmouth Invitational, and the only one to offer Lin a summer league roster spot.

"He said he loved my game and the way I played and my basketball IQ, but then he said, 'I think you're about one year away from the NBA, so I want you to come play for my D-League team,' " Lin said. "That's how it started. He didn't draft me because he still thought I needed a year to develop, but he wanted me to come play for them, get comfortable with the city, get comfortable with the organization."