What a difference a year makes.
The Charlotte Hornets are worried free agent point guard Jeremy Lin will not re-sign with the team and go somewhere else this offseason reports Chris Broussard of ESPN.com.
The Hornets are faced with tough cap decisions as a handful of their top point producers, Marvin Williams, Al Jefferson, Courtney Lee, Nicolas Batum, and Lin, are free agents. With the rising cap, the Hornets should be able to facilitate re-signing some of them (Batum will need a max offer deal), but it’s not guaranteed all will return.
Lin became an excellent sixth man for the Hornets this season, averaging 11.7 points per game, 3.0 assists, and 3.2 rebounds, providing Charlotte with key minutes off the bench. While his shooting percentages were down, Lin was a spark plug and a consistent force all season long, including the playoffs. His career was on the decline following a tough stint with the Lakers, but after a surprisingly strong season on a $2.1 million bargain contract, Lin declined his $2.2 million option for 2016-17. He’ll have plenty of suitors aside from Charlotte.
Outside of Rajon Rondo and Mike Conley, this season’s free agent point guard class isn’t a particularly strong one. Lin is in line to get a big deal.
What’s a potential contract going to look like for Lin? It’s hard to gauge. With the rising salary cap, contracts that would have been ridiculous for a player of Lin’s caliber now seem like the norm. Lin’s positioned himself well in free agency. He should be seeking a multi-year deal in the double digit millions.
Linsanity lives on, and the Hornets are hoping that they can keep taking advantage of the magic this fall and beyond.
