Jeremy Lin’s Lakers season ended on an upnote. After the All-Star break, Lin got more time under Byron Scott’s draconian march to historic failure–and Lin got into the lane and scored points. That’s something he can do. Other teams know it. And Lin can do just enough of it to make a difference for a team in contention. Even Houston might want him back–because Lin had a pretty good two years there for 24-year-old out of Harvard. Lin played in all 82 games his first year in Houston.
[BONUS: The Jeremy Lin Quiz — Think You Know Jeremy Lin? 13 Questions]
Lin is just 26, a fact some people forget because Linsanity–that meteoric moment in New York where Lin captured the world’s attention–seems so long ago. Last year Lin was paid $15 million. That figure is part of the reason LA wanted Lin–his expiring contract, not his game–and it showed in the way they used him. Nobody thinks Lin will get that this time around in free agency. But Lin will get offers far above the NBA average of $4 million. Former Lakers champ Mychal Thompson thinks Lin may command double that. Lin is clearly worth a lot to any savvy NBA marketing department–and he’s a genuine threat on the court in the right situation. That situation wasn’t LA, but next year for Lin will be a fresh start somewhere–with big expectations Jeremy Lin will be eager to fulfill.
