Dallas Mavericks: Should the Mavs give Jeremy Lin a shot?

News has been circulating today about Jeremy Lin and the fact that he has not been given much love in free agency. With Lin still looking for a team this year, should the Dallas Mavericks consider him?

It has been over 7 years since Linsanity took over the NBA for a short period of time in New York. Jeremy Lin went from an undrafted, D-League player to a starter on one of the most storied NBA franchises of all-time in a matter of days, and his journey from the bottom has now gone almost full circle. The Dallas Mavericks have not been a part of Linsanity to this point, but is it time for that to change?

Jeremy Lin is currently a free agent and many of the NBA rosters have already been filled. After winning a title with the Toronto Raptors last year, there is nothing left for Lin to prove in his NBA career. His option now is pretty much to just wait and hope for a team to offer him. The Dallas Mavericks are likely not going to be competing for a title this year, which takes that interest out.

Still, the Mavericks could use a veteran in that 15th roster spot and 30-year-old Lin wouldn’t be a bad option. He has the ability to take over games and make smart decisions and could be a good mentor for some of the younger guys on the Mavericks roster.

Lin has averaged over 11 points and 4 assists per game in his career. He is still in the prime years of his career and would only need a veteran minimum contract to get him. He certainly still has some left in the tank, but in the end, the Mavs are probably still going to have better options to fill that last roster spot.

For one, there are still a number of good, veteran free agents available. The Mavs could consider pursuing a player like Jamal Crawford, Vince Carter or Dwight Howard. Unfortunately, none of these guys have won a title in their careers and would probably prefer to go somewhere with a chance for a ring. Except maybe Carter, who has never been one to chase rings.

I believe that Jeremy Lin should at least be getting some teams looking at him as a potential roster filler. He is a whole lot better than a lot of players that will be under contract this year, and yet he has been consistently overlooked throughout his NBA career.

If this was the end of the Linsanity era in the NBA, I would say he had a wildly successful career and has nothing to be ashamed of. That does not mean that he was not overlooked and underrated for a large part of it, however. Lin deserves some recognition, even if he was never a superstar.

I hope that Lin gets a contract offer. He belongs in the league still and definitely has a lot left to give. I am just not sure that the Dallas Mavericks are the best fit for getting Lin back on the court with some regularity.