Jeremy Lin Opts Out Of Contract With Charlotte Hornets, Becomes Highly Coveted NBA Free Agent

Charlotte Hornets guard Jeremy Lin has decided that he no longer wants to be under contract with the team. According to CBS Sports, he has activated a clause that allows him to become a free agent in the NBA. Since he has proven himself to be an asset again, Lin should be one of the coveted players this summer.

From a financial standpoint, it makes all the sense in the world for Jeremy Lin to opt out of his contract with the Charlotte Hornets. He was scheduled to make $2.2 million had he stayed under his original contract. While that amount may sound like a lot of money to the average person, it is considered rather paltry to NBA players who are set to watch the salary cap make a historic rise.

At 27 years of age, Jeremy Lin can still be a long-term solution for teams in the NBA. He’s young enough to still provide a couple of good years of solid play. Lin also has enough experience in the National Basketball Association to help younger players. That’s why he was such a tremendous fit with the Charlotte Hornets.

Jeremy Lin has been a free agent in the NBA plenty of times. He would love for nothing more than to find a team that will lock him up for several years. That way, Lin can focus solely on basketball instead of the business side of things. Having a home means a lot to players in the National Basketball Association.

In regard to the basketball side of things, Jeremy Lin will need to figure out the best place in the NBA for him to continue his career. The Charlotte Hornets have already expressed strong interest in having him come back next season to be the third guard again. Lin, however, might want to seek out starting opportunities elsewhere in the National Basketball Association.

There is a slight chance that Jeremy Lin gets to be a starter again. The Charlotte Hornets need to keep Nicolas Batum from leaving via free agency. He’ll be highly coveted by other NBA teams. However, the Hornets have the advantage since Batum likes his situation in Charlotte. If he does leave, though, Michael Kidd Gilchrist can move to small forward, which means that Lin can take over the starting shooting guard spot.

The New York Knicks would love for Jeremy Lin to make a return. Management doesn’t expect him to be the superstar that he was during that incredible burst that made him a global sensation for the NBA. They simply need him to provide an upgrade in the back court. Arron Afflalo seems to be on the way out, and Jose Calderon needs to be moved to the bench at this point in his career.

Another team that might be interested in a Jeremy Lin return is the Houston Rockets. Mike D’Antoni has just been named the new head coach. He was the guy in charge of the New York Knicks when Lin had his historic run. A reunion between the two guys could produce quite a bit of magic. It could take defensive pressure off of James Harden which might make him an even more dangerous weapon in the NBA.

Jeremy Lin essentially took a gamble on himself by taking a lesser contract to be in a favorable situation with the Charlotte Hornets. It’s already looking like it has worked out because his name value has gone up tremendously. We’ll know for sure just how well it has worked out whenever he gets a big pay day from one of the NBA teams this summer.

Regardless of where he ends up in the NBA, Jeremy Lin has already been declared a winner in free agency.

[Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images]