Because he is a restricted free agent, the Knicks were able to let Jeremy Lin explore his options with other NBA teams before deciding if they would match an offer he received. The problem is they may have irritated Lin by not extending the first contractual offer.
According to the NY Daily News, Lin is reportedly upset that it was the Rockets — not the Knicks — who presented him with his first offer sheet — a $29 million deal over four seasons.
“He was surprised that the Knicks didn’t make the first move,” a league source reportedly told the Daily News. “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.”
Obviously, the Knicks are still interested and fully intend to match the Rockets’ offer, but who can blame them for their approach? Rather than offending Lin with a low offer, or offering him much more than another team would have, New York did what a lot of teams would do and waited for another team to set the market.
Some feel as though Lin has lost sight of the fact that he would not be a superstar if not for the Knicks. In fact, many NBA executives feel that the short-term success he had last season will not continue and that Lin will be nothing more than a backup. If that’s the case, he can thank the Knicks for allowing another team to set the market pretty high for him. Business is business, and a baller who nearly wound up playing in Europe a year ago should appreciate that as much as the next guy.
UPDATE – Lin issued a pretty firm denial via Twitter on Wednesday:
Lol why do u guys believe everything? No quotes from me = probably not true
— Jeremy Lin (@JLin7) July 11, 2012
Photo credit: Brian Spurlock-US PRESSWIRE
