Jeremy Lin agrees to a deal with the Houston Rockets

Jeremy Lin has agreed to sign an offer sheet with the Houston Rockets for four-years $28.8 million. The New York Knicks have said they intend to match any offer given to Lin, no matter the price, but with the signing of Jason Kidd and other veteran guards looking for jobs, they may change their mind. If the Knicks don’t match the offer it will mean the Rockets filled their biggest hole on their roster. Point guard.

Lin is only 23 years old and has already had one of the most wild NBA careers i’ve ever heard of. He went from being cut by the Warriors, cut by the Rockets and almost being cut by the Knicks before he even got a shot, to becoming one of the most popular players in the NBA. Linsanity would bring so much publicity to a team who hasn’t made the playoffs in the last three seasons. Houston already has a very large asian audience since they drafted Yao Ming back in 2002. With the addition of Lin it could grow even more and bring back the fans that have left since Yao retired. The Rockets would most likely get more games on premiere channels such as ESPN, TNT and ABC. Lin’s marketability is through the roof and could change the culture around the Houston franchise.

After Lin’s first month as the starter of the Knicks, which everyone heard about, he took a little bit of a dip. I don’t think he will ever be a top 3 point guard, but i think he can definitely be in the top 10.  Is a top 10 point guard worth 28.8 million over four years? In Lin’s case i think he is. He’s still young, has a huge upside, popular among fans and has a good head on his shoulders.

Last season was a tale of two tapes for Jeremy Lin. When Lin came off the bench he seemed like an average backup point guard, nothing special. The Knicks were going to cut him until they had some point guard problems with injuries. New York through him to the wolves. As a backup in 10 games, Lin averaged 5.7 points, 2.4 assists and 1.7 rebounds in 9 minutes a game. Decent numbers for a backup, but when he tookover the starting role is when he started to really shine. In 25 games as a starter, Lin averaged 18.2 points, 7.7 assists, 3.7 rebounds and 2 steals in 34 minutes a game. If Lin can manage to put up those numbers over an entire season he will be a legitimate All-Star point guard. It’s a longshot that he does continue to put up these numbers, but so was him even making an NBA roster.

The only problem with the deal is that the Knicks can, and most likely will match the Rockets offer. If so, the Rockets should bring in Raymond Felton to run the team. if the Knicks decide to not match the offer i expect for them to bring back Felton, who had his most success as a Knick. The way Daryl Morey put together the deal will make it tough for the Knicks to swallow. Morey used the “poison pill” as people in the NBA like to call it, by giving Lin $5 million in each of the first two seasons, and $9 million in the third season. The Knicks will already have to pay $20 million to Carmelo and Stoudemire in three years, along with $15 million for Chandler. If the Knicks find this to be to much to handle, the Rockets will win the Lin sweepstakes.

A lot has to go right for this deal to happen, but with all of the bad luck happening in Houston lately something has to go in the Rockets favor, right? Come on Knicks, give Houston a break, will ya?

Highlights: http://youtu.be/8iWWFk6TX18