After collecting a career-high $15 million last season, Jeremy Lin won't be expected to lower down his price tag even after an up-and-down season with the Los Angeles Lakers. In fact, Mychal Thompson of ESPN Radio Los Angeles even believed the former Harvard standout might still be targeting a contract that would pay him around $8 million to $10 million per season.
Coming off the worst statistical year since the post-Linsanity era (11.2 points on 42% FG/ 36% 3pts and 4.6 assists in 27 minutes per game), the 26-year old Lin will enter the free-agency season sans the enormous media coverage and hype that bestowed upon him three years ago. Still, he remains one of the most intriguing free-agents to hit the market this summer largely because of his strong output in the second half of the season and the fact that he's still 26-year old.
In his appearance on ESPN Los Angeles Radio show Mason and Ireland, former Lakers All-Star Mychal Thompson talked about the potential offseason transactions the Lakers would make this summer as they attempt to bounce back from two consecutive nightmarish seasons.
Thompson believed the Lakers are going to make a run at a high-profile free-agent this season and use their top-5 pick to select one of the studs coming out of the collegiate ranks. The rest will likely be holdovers from last season, with only Nick Young and Jordan Hill possibly not coming back with the purple-and-gold next season.
As to Jeremy Lin, Thompson thinks it would depend on the Lakers' free-agency plan and the player's asking price. Lin stressed at the end of the regular-season that his main priority will be to pick a team where he fits in well. Although he's not ruling out a return to the Lakers, Lin is also drawing interest from the Houston Rockets, Philadelphia 76ers and Denver Nuggets.
According to Thompson, aside from having the opportunity again to have a bigger role, Lin would also seek a significant paycheck worth $8 million to $10 million per year, a price tag that would instantly kill the prospect of playing again with the Lakers.