With Brooklyn Nets player Jeremy Lin put on the shelf for the remainder of the season, the eastern conference team is looking to fill out the gaping hole by successfully applying for a Disabled Player Extension (DPE).
The 29-year-old point guard tore the right patella tendon on his right knee when he landed hard after driving for a layup during a match against the Indiana Pacers in their season opener back in October of last year.
Lin was immediately rushed to the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York, where the player tweeted a picture of himself and his coach, thanking the fans for the support they have given.
A report from the National Basketball Association's (NBA) website said that Lin's injury was not career-threatening and he is expected to make a full recovery. However, the injury also meant that Lin will be missing the rest of the season, which was a big problem for the Nets.
To make matters worse, the team's leading scorer D'Angelo Russel also got hurt a short time after Lin's exit, leaving the Net's without formidable guards to run the ball on both sides. This prompted General Manager Sean Marks to opt for the DPE, which was approved via a report from Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports.
The Disabled Player Extension will grant the Nets an additional $6 million cap in roster space, which they can use to acquire an additional player — either a free agent or a player whose current contract is about to expire or has been waived— as a supplement.
The Nets have a March 10 deadline to use the DPE, and not necessarily on a guard since Russel has already healed and made a comeback against the Miami Heat on Friday. Marks also said in a previous report by Nets Daily that the team is "much prepared to handle the loss of a backcourt player this year than the last."
The Nets are not the only player that has been granted a DPE this season. The Celtics were also granted an $8.4 million exception in October last year after Gordon Hayward suffered an injury in the opening games.
