The Charlotte Hornets were eliminated from the 2016 NBA playoffs following an embarrassing Game 7 loss at the hands of the Miami Heat. The Hornets will have a handful of free agents to re-sign this offseason, but point guard Jeremy Lin may not be a top priority.
Charlotte failed to capitalize their 3-2 series lead after winning Game 5 in Miami. They lost 97-90 on their home floor in Game 6 and were blown out 106-73 in Game 7 on May 1, Sunday.
The Hornets shot miserably from the field on Sunday, making only 32.1 percent of their shot attempts and were totally outrebounded by the Heat. Michael Jordan's team now enters the offseason full of questions regarding their free agents.
Some of the soon-to-be free agents in Charlotte include Nicolas Batum, Al Jefferson, Courtney Lee and Marvin Williams. Lin is also expected to opt-out of his contract after a good bounce back season with the Hornets.
According to ESPN, the team's priority this summer should be Batum, Williams, Jefferson, Lin and Lee. Batum is the overall best player among them while Williams had a strong season playing the small ball power forward.
On the other hand, Jefferson is still a serviceable big man, but he is already 31 years old and has been plagued by a lot of injuries the past couple of seasons. Lin is arguably the team's sixth man while Lee proved to be a good trade deadline acquisition and came up big against the Heat in Game 4 and 5.
Out of the five players mentioned, Batum and Lin will likely have the most number of suitors this summer. However, with the French swingman being the top priority, the Hornets may let Lin walk if he signs a better offer somewhere else.
The 27-year-old point guard has found his niche in the league, being the sixth man of a team. However, there would also be opportunities for him to start and is currently linked with the Brooklyn Nets.
The Nets' new head coach, Kenny Atkinson, is credited for the emergence of "Linsanity" with the New York Knicks in 2012. Lin fueled the rumors of leaving Charlotte by praising Atkinson in an interview with the New York Post.
"When I wasn't playing much, we were working out before practice, and after practice, he was picking apart my game, teaching me what it's like to play in Coach D'Antoni's system," Lin said.
Check the video below for the highlights of Game 7 between the Heat and Hornets.