As it was reported over the weekend, the New York Knicks are set to lose Jeremy Lin to the Houston Rockets.
The Knicks made it official on Tuesday, when they decided not to match the back-loaded offer sheet that Lin signed last week with the Rockets. That contract would guarantee that Lin would make $25 million over the life of the contract, including $15 million in the final year of the deal.
There have been numerous stories over the past few days, each with a different twist as to why the Knicks let Lin go. J.R. Smith and Carmelo Anthony ripped into Lin, calling the contract "ridiculous", even adding that if Lin were to return his teammates would be "jealous" of him. Those comments created a firestorm that Lin was ousted because of a rift with his teammates.
Then there were the stories that the Knicks couldn't afford Lin because of the heavy luxury tax penalty they would have to pay come 2014-2015.
And how about the stories that Lin is selfish, because he went back to Houston asking for more money after word got around that the Knicks would match the Rockets initial offer-sheet.
No matter, you can't kill the Knicks for making this move. They save themselves from salary cap hell by giving a still unproven point guard big time money, when he only played in 25 games last season. While Lin is a talented player, who knows whether his explosion onto the NBA stage in February was more than a shooting star. He didn't play all that well when teams adjusted to him.
That being said it is a shame. If it is true that Lin went back to Houston in order renegotiate the price tag, he is making a big mistake. Instead of competing on the grandest stage with a competitive team, Lin has opted, like most athletes to take the most money, even if means playing for a loser.
The real reason for Lin's departure will be debated for a long time to come, but if one thing is for sure it was fun while it lasted.
There have been numerous stories over the past few days, each with a different twist as to why the Knicks let Lin go. J.R. Smith and Carmelo Anthony ripped into Lin, calling the contract "ridiculous", even adding that if Lin were to return his teammates would be "jealous" of him. Those comments created a firestorm that Lin was ousted because of a rift with his teammates.
Then there were the stories that the Knicks couldn't afford Lin because of the heavy luxury tax penalty they would have to pay come 2014-2015.
And how about the stories that Lin is selfish, because he went back to Houston asking for more money after word got around that the Knicks would match the Rockets initial offer-sheet.
No matter, you can't kill the Knicks for making this move. They save themselves from salary cap hell by giving a still unproven point guard big time money, when he only played in 25 games last season. While Lin is a talented player, who knows whether his explosion onto the NBA stage in February was more than a shooting star. He didn't play all that well when teams adjusted to him.
That being said it is a shame. If it is true that Lin went back to Houston in order renegotiate the price tag, he is making a big mistake. Instead of competing on the grandest stage with a competitive team, Lin has opted, like most athletes to take the most money, even if means playing for a loser.
The real reason for Lin's departure will be debated for a long time to come, but if one thing is for sure it was fun while it lasted.
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