Jeremy Lin’s tenure in Los Angeles was officially announced by the Lakers this week.
At the same time, ESPN reported that Scott got a job offer as head coach of the Lakers.
At a press conference in Taiwan, Lin said he’s not trying to recreate his breakout season with the New York Knicks a few years ago.
“I’m not trying to relive that banner season,” Lin said, according to ESPN. “I think that’s been a big weight off my shoulders, and I think that’s very important for me as a player. I’m not trying to recreate a ‘Linsanity.’ I’m not trying to be that phenomenon that happened in New York. I think I just want to be myself more than ever.”
Reports this week said the Lakers told Lin he’s going to have a bigger role than with the Houston Rockets, his previous team.
“I think from the minute that I stepped into Houston until now, I’m definitely a much more complete player, and I learned how to do a lot of things that maybe I never had to do before, which was learning how to play off the ball, cutting and really challenging myself with some of the weaknesses that I’ve had to try to improve on,” Lin added.
Meanwhile, it’s unclear what will happen with Steve Nash, who is 40 and has been dealing with nagging injuries for the past few years.
“If you asked me, or I think if you asked any player, I think they'll believe that they’re capable of starting,” Lin was quoted as saying. “But I think if there’s anything I’ve learned from this past year, it’s really not that much about who starts. I think it’s more about who finishes and how you play with the time that you’re given.”
The Lakers also introduced Carlos Boozer, who was acquired from the Chicago Bulls.
“Fortunately for us and unexpectedly for us, our bid was the highest,” Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak said at a press conference, according to Lakers.com. “Not for a second did we think he'd be available to us. Personally, I know he’s going to have a great year this year, and at his age, there’s no reason he can’t play three, four or five more years. I think that’s his expectation as well.”
Xavier Henry has agreed to a one-year deal to return to the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Lakers announced the deal Friday.
Henry averaged career highs with 10.0 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.2 assists in the swingman’s first season with the Lakers despite numerous injuries that limited him to 43 games.
The four-year NBA veteran underwent surgery on his left wrist and right knee after his season ended, and his recovery from the injuries likely affected his ability to land a bigger free-agent contract.
Henry was the 12th overall pick in the 2010 draft by Memphis. He also played two seasons with New Orleans before joining Los Angeles as a training-camp invitee last year.
And free-agent guard Nick Young has signed a multiyear deal to stay with the Los Angeles Lakers.
General manager Mitch Kupchak on Monday described Young as a “bright spot” during last year’s losing season. He says he’s glad to keep someone committed to the rebuilding of the team.
Young averaged a career-high 17.9 points in his first season with the Lakers playing mostly off the bench. He started nine of 64 games. Young led the NBA in four-point plays with seven, a team record.
The Lakers also signed free-agent forward Ryan Kelly, who averaged 8.0 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.6 assists during his rookie season. He started 25 of 59 games.
Kelly also spent five games with the Los Angeles D-Fenders of the NBA’s D-League. He was selected 48th overall by the Lakers in last year’s draft out of Duke.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
