So you've heard that Jeremy Lin is headed back to New York City. This month, the free agent signed a three-year, $36 million contract with the Nets. And Brooklyn might just be getting the best deal in the NBA.
In a wild NBA spending spree, these 10 free agents were actually a bargain
CBS Sports' Ananth Pandian has compiled a list of the top ten bargains in this summer's free agency, and Lin's deal with the Nets tops the list. The three-year, $36 million contract is a steal, Pandian writes.
1. Jeremy Lin, Brooklyn Nets: Seeking a starting role and wanting to reunite with coach Kenny Atkinson, Jeremy Lin chose to sign with the Nets, despite being recruited by a number of other teams. Lin also likely could've gotten more money yet he agreed to a three-year, $36 million contract with the Nets. This is less than what the Bucks paid Matthew Dellavedova, who will continue to be a backup in Milwaukee.
Brooklyn also gets tremendous value from Lin, both from a basketball standpoint and a marketing one. Lin's popularity internationally and in the U.S. allows the Nets to instantly make him the public face of the franchise and guarantees them a huge windfall with merchandizing.
Lin signed a two-year, $4.3 million deal with Charlotte last year, but activated the contract's early-termination option to explore free agency. In his single season with the Hornets, the 27-year-old Harvard alum averaged 11.7 points, 3.2 rebounds and 3.0 assists over 26.3 minutes per game.
Okay, so it's a little weird to talk about multimillionaire athletes being underpaid. That said, considering the tremendous value he brings to the team, Jeremy Lin is underpaid.
More here: Jeremy Lin explains why he signed with the Brooklyn Nets
