NBA: Agent Says No Guarantee Jeremy Lin Re-Signs With Knicks

Sabrina B.

There are no assurances that Linsanity will be back at MSG next season, as far as Jeremy Lin’s agent is concerned.

From the NY Post:

“Roger Montgomery said nothing is assured regarding Lin’s Knicks future, despite interim coach Mike Woodson’s declaration the global phenom — who becomes a restricted free agent on July 1 — would ‘absolutely’ return. When asked if he expects the Knicks negotiation to be cut-and-dried, Montgomery forewarned: ‘I don’t expect that. We’re not anticipating that’s going to happen. We don’t have assurances of anything. I know history shows most restricted free agents go back to their team, but I’m not going to assume anything. We’re waiting to see what happens.’ There is a possibility the Knicks will force Lin, 24, and his reps to find the point guard’s market value by first signing an offer sheet from another team, which must project Lin’s potential from a 26-game window when he played starter’s minutes.

Lin, who made $762,000 this season, also must find a club that feels the Knicks won’t match the offer. The good news for Montgomery is in the new collective bargaining agreement, teams have just three days to match an offer, less than the prior seven-day window that hamstrung teams. Montgomery must create the impression the Knicks are not locks to retain Lin to spur teams to present an offer sheet. A source confirmed Toronto, which has a large Chinese population, will be one suitor. The Knicks ultimately control Lin’s destiny because they cannot be outbid. And if the Players Association wins its arbitration hearing and restores Lin’s early Bird rights, it is a virtual certainty the Knicks will match any offer because the Bird exception means teams can exceed the salary cap to re-sign players. That would allow the Knicks to keep their $5 million mid-level exception to sign a solid, veteran point guard from a list that starts with Steve Nash but also includes Jameer Nelson, Andre Miller, Ramon Sessions, Lou Williams and Raymond Felton. A source said the arbitration hearing date will be set this week. If the union loses and the Knicks need their $5M mid-level exception to re-sign Lin, it could get trickier.”

–SLAMONLINE