Jeremy Lin is off to the Houston Rockets. And it's starting to sound like the reasons he were let go weren't business, but personal. Owner James Dolan didn't seem happy at the way the Palo Alto high school star conducted his free agency at all, and was more than willing to let him walk. Frank Isola of the New York Daily News files this report.
Of course, team officials privately felt that Lin’s actions over the past few weeks were anything but grateful. They were upset that he hired a publicist without their consent and were livid that the second-year point guard out of Harvard went back to the Rockets for more money.
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That third-year balloon payment of $14.9 million could have cost the Knicks another $35 million or more in luxury-tax penalties. Dolan has a history of overpaying his players and has never shied away from the luxury tax before.
But in this case, Dolan felt betrayed by Lin for going back to Houston to rework the contract. After all, the Knicks acquired Lin in December after he was released by both Golden State and Houston.
This is all very strange and bizarre. Why would Dolan be so opposed to letting Lin test the waters? Did Lin give Dolan his word that he wouldn't go out and do these things? Or is Dolan just being extremely petty to avoid paying Lin a figure he probably doesn't deserve? Dolan has broke the bank on unproven talent before, so it's not like this is a first-time deal with him.
In any case, this news will do everything to ampilfy the anxiety and concern the Knicks fans have with their ownership. Lin was one of the best things that ever happened to Knicks fans in the past miserable decade, and they'll now have to learn to deal with basketball without him.
Talk about Lin and Dolan with Knicks fans at Posting and Toasting.
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