LAS VEGAS (AP) ― Jeremy Lin will be staying put, in New York and as the Knicks’ starting point guard.
Coach Mike Woodson repeated Wednesday that Lin will “absolutely” be back next season and will enter training camp as the starter at his position, even with the Knicks agreeing to a deal with veteran Jason Kidd.
Lin has agreed to sign an offer sheet with the Houston Rockets for about $28 million over four years. The Knicks have said all along they planned to match any offer for their restricted free agent, and Woodson said the Knicks “never once” blinked at knowing they would have to pay that figure.
The offer sheet still hasn’t been signed and sent to the Knicks, who would then have three days to match, so Woodson said he couldn’t comment much about it, but added that “Jeremy Lin has always been a big part of what we we’re trying to do as we move forward with our franchise.”
Jeremy Lin
Lin took to his Twitter page Wednesday to deny a report that he was unhappy with the Knicks for not signing him right away and forcing him to get another offer first.
He earned the starting spot in February and emerged as a breakout star before his season was cut short by surgery to repair torn knee cartilage. Woodson said Lin would go into training camp as the starter because he doesn’t believe players should lose their spots because of injury, and that he would benefit from playing with Kidd.
“Jason’s a veteran guy that brings leadership and I thought it would be a perfect fit for Jeremy Lin in terms of being able to tutor him as he grows as a point guard for our franchise, and Jason can still play and run a ballclub,” Woodson said before the Knicks’ summer league team practiced. “So that’s important I think as we move forward.”
Heat get 2 new shooters
The Miami Heat got two more shooters. The Orlando Magic, at least for now, are keeping their center.
A flurry of deals were completed Wednesday and another one was put on hold on the first day contracts could be signed in the NBA.
Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis inked their deals with the NBA champions, who will rely on their perimeter accuracy to create more space on the court for LeBron James and Dwyane Wade.
The Spurs announced Tim Duncan was staying in San Antonio and the Knicks completed a sign-and-trade to bring Marcus Camby to New York. But there’s no deal for the best big man of them all in the NBA right now.
The Magic can’t find an agreement they like for All-Star center Dwight Howard, who has asked for a trade to Brooklyn. The Magic have tried to accommodate, only to find nothing from the Nets that fit their desires.
“We’ve had discussions with Brooklyn, we’ve had discussions with a host of different teams about a host of different issues. And the answer is, ‘Yes we’re still talking to them,’” Magic general manager Rob Hennigan said. “We’re still looking to do whatever it is that puts us in the best position from a sustainability standpoint, (and) from a strategic standpoint.”
koreaherald@heraldcorp.com
