Jeremy Lin (left) and Thaddeus Young of the Brooklyn Nets battle for the ball during their game on Feb. 21 at the Barclays Center. (Photo : Getty Images/Al Bello)
All directions are pointing towards point guard Jeremy Lin opting out from the final year of his contract with the Charlotte Hornets and hit the market as an unrestricted free-agent this summer, per source.
Lin, 27, signed a two-year, $4.25 million deal - a contract below his market value - with the Hornets last offseason in hope of bouncing back from a nightmarish stint with the Los Angeles Lakers a year ago.
Many thought Lin was an under-the-radar acquisition for the Hornets, a player who could turn into a valuable piece for the resurging Hornets franchise.
The former Harvard standout lived up to that hype through the first 45 games, becoming the primary scorer and ball distributor off the bench for the Hornets. His versatility also helped Steve Clifford solve mismatched problems on the backcourt, particularly on the defensive end of the floor.
The impact Lin brings for the Hornets even put him as one of the front-runners for the Sixth Man of the Year award. Through the first half of the 2015-16 season, Lin averaged at least 12 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists, while doing excellent job containing bigger guards from opposing teams on a daily basis.
Unfortunately, Lin has seen his minutes and role slowly reduced ever since the arrival of Courtney Lee, whom the Hornets acquired in a trade deadline deal with the Memphis Grizzlies.
Although he's still logging in at least 20 minutes per game (6 mins. below his average playing time), Lin hasn't been able to play significant playing time down the stretch as Clifford opted for Lee to finish games.
His diminishing role with the team along with the opportunity to get a higher paycheck, thanks to a sharp rise in salary cap this summer, would surely factor in on Lin's decision to opt out from the second year of his deal that pays him just a little bit over $2MM, according to a league insider.
Despite his recent struggles, his strong performance during the first half has left quite an impression for teams looking for depth and reliable scorer off the bench this offseason.
Teams to watch out as potential suitors for Lin are his former team the Houston Rockets, Dallas Mavericks, and the Philadelphia 76ers.
