Jeremy Lin Opts Out of Hornets Contract: Latest Details, Comments and Reaction
Jeremy Lin arrived in Charlotte seemingly at the end of his NBA rope. A disappointing stint with the Los Angeles Lakers left him hanging out on the free-agent market and looking for a low-level deal—an experience that paled in comparison to his first free-agency run.
One year later, Lin is prepared to hit the open market again.
The veteran point guard declined his player option for the 2016-17 season on Thursday, which will make him an unrestricted free agent July 1, according to ESPN.com's Marc Stein.
Lin, 27, was scheduled to make $2.2 million next season. He averaged 11.7 points and three assists per game, shooting 41.2 percent in 2015-16. While those aren't deviations from Lin's previous numbers—they are, in fact, right in line with what he averaged in L.A. and with the Houston Rockets—he looked rejuvenated amid lessened external pressure.
He signed with the Rockets immediately after Linsanity took over the league during his 2011-12 season with the New York Knicks, and his fans saw him as a potential star. Things never worked out, as Lin and James Harden made an oil-water mix, and his lone season in Los Angeles ranked among the worst in Lakers history.
"To me, the most important thing as a free agent is that I am happy when I play basketball or show up for work. I was happy last year, but I was not particularly happy for the first five years [as an NBA player]," Lin said at a press conference in Taipei, Taiwan, per the Taipei Times' Shelley Shan.
With the weight of expectation off his shoulders, Lin thrived this past season. He became a leader in the locker room, helping organize a team Bible study group as the Hornets returned to the playoffs.
“I think I’m just in a different place, mentally, spiritually, where I’m able to enjoy this job more and more,” Lin said, per Andrew Keh of the New York Times. “The lows don’t affect me the way they used to anymore.”
Opting out here feels like a business move. The NBA is set for a never-before-seen influx of cash, with the league projecting a $94 million salary cap, per Shams Charania of The Vertical. That number may go higher once the league has accounted for all its new revenue. Even if Lin tops out as a sixth or seventh man at the NBA level, $2.2 million is about one-fourth of what players in his tier will make under the new cap.
Lin has also been open about his desire for a Charlotte return. He said, per Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer:
"I definitely want to play with these guys and this coach [Steve Clifford]. When you bounce around a lot the way I have, seeing a lot of organizations, there’s a lot about this one that I can appreciate in terms of my experience, that maybe I didn’t have in other situations.
From the (preseason) China trip we knew this team really got along. I kind of expected there’d be bumps and bruises along the way as far as guys getting along with each other, but really there wasn’t. I’ve never seen a group of guys at the professional level (where) all the guys 1 through 15 got along together. It wasn’t uncommon for all 15 of us to do something together.
"
Lin also went on to say he'd be willing to take less money to return, calling Charlotte the "most fun" he's had as an NBA player. That may be the case, but it's clear that money is at least playing some factor in his decision-making. If it weren't, Lin would have opted in.
But this is a no-brainer.
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