Will Jeremy Lin be going to Houston?

After the Houston Rockets lost out in a bidding war for Goran Dragic, they’re going after Jeremy Lin. They’ve now given the New York Knicks’ point guard an offer sheet that includes back-loaded money and several years’ worth of play. Lin cannot sign the offer until July 11, at which time the Knicks have three days to either let him go, or match the offer.

But will Lin sign the offer? Will the Knicks let him go if he does?

The deal is designed so that during the first two years Lin would receive $5 million and $5.2 million, respectively. The third and fourth years however, could garner Lin $10 million a year each. Matching a deal that’s structured this way could be fairly brutal for the Knicks, as it could have them facing as much as $35 million in luxury taxes when they go far over the salary cap.

Still, the Knicks have said that they are prepared to match any offer given to Lin, despite the fact that it will be a costly move for them. Their argument? That Lin has simply become too important to the franchise, both on a national and international level, just can’t be denied the club says, and so the point guard will most likely stay. And, now that Steve Nash has gone to the Lakers, the Knicks really might need Lin to stay.

Ironically, Lin attended the Rockets’ preseason training camp, before being cut by the team. “Even if he stayed here, we probably wouldn’t have recognized his talent as much as we should’ve,” said Rockets general manager Daryl Morey. “I didn’t know he could play this well, and if I did, we would’ve kept him.”

Categorized in: NBA