At this rate, the New York Knicks will win every single game with Jeremy Lin in the lineup. While the notion is ridiculous, the need for the Knicks to lock up their famed point guard is not.
CBS Sports' Ken Berger reports the New York Knicks could very well hold onto Jeremy Lin for the long haul, a thought that was unnecessary just a couple of weeks ago.
Things change and Lin is now the indispensable part of a Mike D'Antoni offense that is winning games, six in a row since the emergence of Linsanity.
Berger writes:
By virtue of the Golden State Warriors signing Lin to a two-year contract before waiving him in December, Lin becomes a restricted free agent after this season. Under typical circumstances, Lin would be eligible to receive a qualifying offer from the Knicks worth approximately $1.1 million.
...Several factors are at play, including a new provision in the collective bargaining agreement that allows players who achieve certain playing-time benchmarks (dealing with games started and minutes) to be eligible for a higher qualifying offer. In Lin's case, the maximum qualifying offer he could get under these new rules would be about $2.7 million -- the equivalent offer for the 21st pick in the 2008 draft.
Berger goes on to state that there is nothing normal about Lin's production and his brief stint as a superstar should warrant at least a few multi-year offers from other teams.
A general manager spoke with Berger on Tuesday and relayed this to him:
He's had five games that LeBron James would be jealous of. So he's outplaying his time in the D-League right now. It’s happened, but it’s pretty rare for a guy to play better in the pros than in the minor leagues. It's also rare for someone who's had a five-game stretch like this not to turn out to be an All Star.
What this means is that offers will no doubt pour in for Lin, but the Knicks can match any of them with their full mid-level of $5 million.
This continues to be a maddening story that continues to shape the future of the NY Knicks. There is no doubt that Jeremy Lin will come back down to earth at some point. Even Kobe Bryant and LeBron James have off nights and the most clutch players miss buzzer beaters from time to time.
However, many believe he will settle in, at the very least, as a solid starter that will contribute positively for years to come.
The Knicks had magic fall in their lap and now they have to pay for that miracle. Judging by the wins and the roar at Madison Square Garden, it will hardly hurt opening the pocketbook for Jeremy Lin.
Los Angeles Lakers Memphis Grizzlies Miami Heat Milwaukee Bucks Minnesota Timberwolves New Jersey Nets
Keine Kommentare:
Kommentar veröffentlichen