Knicks Rumors: New York Must Keep Jeremy Lin Goodwill Going in Offseason

Forget every last big name free agent; the only thing the NY Knicks need to concentrate on when the season ends is locking up Jeremy Lin. 

It's not often that a player is both invigorating to the team and the entirety of the fanbase. Every last Knicks fan has fallen head over heels for Jeremy Lin, and the Knicks, most importantly, are winning. 

The New York Times' Howard Beck reports Jeremy Lin may very well be a Knicks point guard for the foreseeable future. 

Such a thought would have been treated as back-page news just a couple weeks ago. Now it's a sentiment mandated by the seven-game winning streak, and a rising star that is a household name after a little over a week of dominance. 

Beck writes on the prospects that lay ahead for the Knicks and Lin. 

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Lin will be a restricted free agent this summer, meaning the Knicks can match any offer he receives, without respect to the salary cap. So if the Knicks want to keep him in July, they have every means to do so.

The Knicks do not own any so-called Bird rights on Lin because he was acquired on waivers. However, they are protected by what is known as the Gilbert Arenas rule. That provision...limits rival teams from offering anything more than the average player salary to a restricted free agent with two years or fewer in the N.B.A.

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Essentially, the Knicks will be able to use their mid-level exception to sign their budding superstar. At the very least, they can use it to match any offer that comes his way. 

It would take an exorbitant amount from another team for the Knicks to back away from what has become the crown jewel of New York City. 

This is a franchise that went out and got Carmelo Anthony, Amar'e Stoudemire and Tyson Chandler. In the end, it took a D-League scrub to turn the tide. 

I fully expect losses to come shortly. Lin may even take a great step back in production every now and again, but there is no doubt that he can ball. 

The point guard has tons of talent, and should be a New York mainstay for the foreseeable future. Anything less would be a crime of the highest order. 

This is a team that saw their offense stagnate. What's more, they lost two of their star players for some time due to injury. 

Instead of sinking further into the recesses of the East, the Knicks have covered ground on the Eastern powers. It is all due to Lin finally getting a chance to shine. 

He should continue to light up Madison Square Garden well past this summer. 

Follow @gabezal

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