NBA
After the New York Knicks assured that they would match any offer to restricted free agent Jeremy Lin, the shooting guard is reportedly still sulking that the team did not layout the structure of a contract before the Houston Rockets’ offer sheet."We'll get him back in uniform ... and get him ready for practice and camp and throw the ball in his hands and say, 'Let's go,'" said New York Knicks coach Mike Woodson just last month. "That's what we're going to do when we get (Lin) signed."
Jeremy Lin’s February performance instantly had the nation in the grips of “Linsanity” after leading the New York Knicks to six consecutive victories until he was sidelined last season with a torn knee cartridge that followed surgery.
“He was surprised that the Knicks didn’t make the first move," said a league source regarding Jeremy Lin’s take on the New York Knick’s reservation to instantly signing him. “They know they’ve got to mend some fences with him because he believes what the Rockets have told him, that the Knicks weren’t as interested as they are."
Jeremy Lin will have the opportunity to officially sign on the Houston Rockets’ $29 million offer sheet on Wednesday, when the league wide moratorium on new free agent contract is lifted. The New York Knicks can match any bid made on Jeremy Lin within three days of Wednesday.
The New York Knicks had acquired Jeremy Lin after he failed to impress at the Houston Rockets’ within just a month with the team following the training camp. Prior to the Houston Rockets, Jeremy Lin had an equally uneventful term with the Golden State Warriors, who placed the 23-year-old on waivers, later to be claimed by the Houston Rockets.
Jeremy Lin is apparently unhappy that the New York Knicks had to arrive at the conclusion to up their offer only after another team presented him with a more tempting offer sheet.
“What he has to learn is that it’s not personal,” said a league source regarding Jeremy Lin’s hurt sentiments. “The Knicks merely played by the rules.”
The New York Knicks are expected to match the offer on Jeremy Lin irrespective of the price tag. Last season the Harvard breakout made $788,000, his salary this season is expected to rise drastically. Jeremy Lin had 35 game appearances last season out of which he had 22 starts. The Taiwanese-American phenomena was expected to have great marketability, despite averaging just 14.6 points and 6.2 assists due to a catastrophic knee injury.
