With Jeremy Lin becoming an unrestricted free agent this summer, where should he end up? Here are the five best fits as the new home to Linsanity.
Heading into the 2016 period of NBA free agency, there will be plenty of big names expected to hit the open market. Kevin Durant, Al Horford, Mike Conley, Dwight Howard, Nicolas Batum and Pau Gasol are just some of the major stars that will be taking free agency pitches.
But one quality free agent who’s been overlooked by everyone but his massive global fan base is Jeremy Lin, the source of Linsanity who is coming off one of the best seasons of his career as the backup point guard of the Charlotte Hornets.
Lin only averaged 11.7 points, 3.2 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game on 41.2 percent shooting from the field and 33.6 percent shooting from three-point range last year, but he was one of the league’s most underrated sixth men and an absolute steal on a $2.1 million salary.
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After vastly outplaying his contract (and taking the NBA’s massive salary cap jump into account), it was no surprise for Lin to opt out of the final year of his contract (worth $2.2 million) to become a free agent this summer.
It’s also no surprise to hear that Jeremy Lin feels he is ready for a starting job again after boosting his league-wide value back up. He’d probably be best suited for a backup role on a contender, but there are still plenty of teams that would enjoy having him in the starting gig.
The question is, which free agency destinations would give him the opportunity to start? Bearing in mind salary cap space, basketball fit and the potential to be a starting NBA point guard again, here are the five best free agency destinations for Jeremy Lin.
Honorable Mentions: Houston Rockets, Memphis Grizzlies
Next: No. 5