Today marks the last day the New York Knicks have to match the 3-year, $25 million dollar offer given to Jeremy Lin by the Houston Rockets.
Lin became a phenomenon during this past season in New York, but this offer from the Rockets is just too lucrative for the Knicks to match.
The New York Knicks were 8-15 when Jeremy Lin took over at point guard. They immediately started winning. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
Lin will end up making $14.8 million in the final year of this deal, and it would put the Knicks over the salary cap and into the luxury tax range.
There are fans in New York that want to see the Knicks bring back Lin, but he is simply not worth the money.
It is without question that Jeremy Lin was partially responsible for turning the Knicks’ season around when they were headed towards disaster. Carmelo Anthony was injured and Lin was given a chance, which turned out to be a fantastic decision by then coach Mike D’Antoni.
It was February 4th and the Knicks were taking on the Nets. They were 8-15, so it seemed like a decent time to give a player like Jeremy Lin a chance. Lin took full advantage of this chance, scoring 25 points and sparking “Linsanity”.
The Knicks won seven straight to get back to .500, and this would not have been possible without the great play of Lin.
The issue with the contract he has been offered is that he only had a small stretch of good play. He started 25 games before tearing his meniscus and missing the rest of the season.
Lin’s lack of experience is reason enough to avoid giving him $25 million dollars. It is understandable that he wants a few years on his contract, but that third season of $14.8 million makes the deal prohibitive.
The Knicks seem to have moved on from focusing on Lin, as they have already acquired both Jason Kidd and Raymond Felton to play point guard. It seemed originally that Kidd would come in and mentor Lin, but getting Felton basically shows that Lin is no longer seen as part of the future for the Knicks.
Lin and his agent, of course, have been working to drive up the price of the deal, as they should. However, he should not expect the Knicks to compete with the Rockets for his services if he wants a “ridiculous” amount of money (at least, according to Carmelo).
“Linsanity” may no longer exist in New York, but fans should not be too upset if the Knicks fail to match the offer given to Lin by Houston. It is in their best interest to let him go and save their money.
About Steve Kubitza
