Lakers free agency: Jeremy Lin has not ruled out a return to the Lakers

Jeremy Lin said that he "has not ruled out a return" to the Lakers as a free agent this summer during his exit interview Tuesday. Lin, who averaged 11.2 points and 4.6 assists in 25.8 minutes per game this season, will be an unrestricted free agent when free agency begins in July.

While Lin may not have explicitly ruled out a return to the Lakers, he did not exactly sound enthusiastic about it either, according to Kevin Ding of Bleacher Report. Lin also had noticeable differences with Lakers head coach Byron Scott this season, but told the media that their relationship had improved and would not be an obstacle to his return.

With Jordan Clarkson's encouraging development this year, the possibility of landing a rookie point guard like Emmanuel Mudiay or D'Angelo Russell in the draft, and even the team's potential to have around $20 million in cap space to spend in free agency, it also remains to be seen if the Lakers need or want Lin back. It's good to hear that both sides will be patient and keep their options open.