Jeremy Lin had a good first season with the Charlotte Hornets, but he is expected to opt out of his contract to become a free agent this offseason. However, Lin expressed his desire to stay in Charlotte and he is willing to take a pay cut to make it happen.
The Hornets were eliminated from the 2016 NBA playoffs following a poor Game 7 against the Miami Heat. They failed to capitalize on their 3-2 advantage with Lin getting scarce playing time in the final game.
Nonetheless, the 27-year-old point guard was very vital in the Hornets good run this season. He came in seventh in the 2016 Sixth Man of the Year voting after averaging 11.7 points, 3.2 rebounds and 3.0 assists in 78 games this season.
Lin only started 13 games and was the main reason why the Hornets' bench came alive this year. He is considered a valuable backup for Charlotte but the team has to make tough choices regarding all of their free agents.
According to Spotrac, the Hornets will have a lot of free agents this season including starters Nicolas Batum, Al Jefferson, Marvin Williams and Courtney Lee. On the other hand, Lin is having a great time in Charlotte and wants to stay.
In an interview with the Charlotte Observer, Lin expressed his desire to stay in the Queen City and sign a longer extension. He mentioned that he does not like moving every year and is very happy with his current team.
"This is the most fun I've had in my six years, being around a great group of guys and a coaching staff that really cares. I've learned so much about the game of basketball, particularly at the defensive end," Lin said.
The California-native added that this season was his happiest in his career. He also said that money is not everything since he did not enjoy playing basketball when he was earning a lot.
Lin signed a three-year, $25 million deal with the Houston Rockets in 2012 but he was not happy at all playing there. He also played with the Los Angeles Lakers last season when he was earning $14.8 million.
The Harvard alumnus ignored bigger offers last offseason and signed a two-year, $4.3 million deal with the Hornets. He immediately showed great chemistry with the Hornets roster as well as their head coach, Steve Clifford.
Lin described Clifford as an honest coach who does not like sugar-coating the things he says to his players.
Check the video below for Lin's best performance of the season against the San Antonio Spurs.