11 June - NBA superstar Jeremy Lin has opted not to sign a $2.2 million deal with the Charlotte Hornets which now places him into the free agent market this off season. According to Fox Sports, there are a number of teams interested in picking him up but there are chances he will stay with the Hornets or move to the New York Knicks.
According to the report, Lin did state that he may still come back to the Hornets if they can work out a long-term deal. It is speculated he declined the deal offered to him as it only stands for a single season and for a very low amount when Lin can always demand a higher salary now that the overall salary cap for the NBA has been increased.
If Lin does not pick up a new deal with the Hornets it is possible he will be moving to the New York Knicks although the chances of this happening are still quite slim. According to a report from the New York Post, the Knicks are considering Lin to fill in a spot as they are in desperate need of a point guard.
"We have a young player that's obviously inexperienced after his first year. He'll get better and better," explained the Knicks coach Jeff Hornacek regarding rookie Jerian Grant. "Jose [Calderon] is kind of later in his career. If we can find a middle guy to bridge those two guys, it would be good. There's a lot of guys out there."
He explained that it would be crucial to pick someone from the free agency, someone who could guide the younger Grant while also assisting the elder veteran, Calderon. Hornacek stated that team president Phil Jackson and general manager Steve Mills were already looking into some potential players and Lin was listed amongst them.
Despite this, the report states that the Knicks may not sign on Jeremy Lin due to his defensive stats. While Lin has been proving his abilities as an offensive player that can lead a pick-and-roll tactic the report states that he is left open and vulnerable when it comes to defense.
