Jeremy Lin has a three-year, $25 million contract lined up with the Rockets. The Knicks, whenever they feel like checking the fax machine, have the right to match that offer and retain Lin. And, for the longest time, they were expected to do just that, even if that meant putting themselves in even more dire financial straights.
But now it would appear the Knicks have changed their minds on Lin after trading for point guard Raymond Felton from the Blazers on Saturday. It’s still not clear what the Knicks have planned for Lin, but it’s believed they’ll let him escape to the Rockets.
When asked about this turn of events involving his team and arguably its most popular player last season, Carmelo Anthony said this to Newsday’s Rod Boone:
Melo on #Knicks Lin saga: “It’s not up to me. It’s up to the organization to say that they want to match that ridiculous contract.”
— Rod Boone (@rodboone) July 15, 2012
There have been (unfounded) rumors that Carmelo, for whatever reason, didn’t like Lin, and this quote from Melo about Lin in February was certainly suspicious. So it’s easy for some people to see Melo saying Lin is being offered a “ridiculous contract” and interpret it as a shot at the unproven Lin. But that’s simply not the case here. (Especially because Carmelo added, “I’d love to see him back, but I think he has to do what’s best for him right now.”)
Carmelo instead is opining on its absurd structure. The Rockets’ offer is one of those “poison pill” contracts and balloons from offering $5.2 million in the second year to a staggering $14.8 million in the third, which is intended to hurt the Knicks in the luxury tax department in 2015 and scare them away from matching. And apparently it worked.
When asked if he’s content with the point guards he’ll likely be playing with next season, Jason Kidd and Felton, Carmelo said, “I mean, what other point guards are we going to get at this point?”
Your New York Knickerbockers, ladies and gentlemen.
