Charlotte Hornets guard Jeremy Lin has just decided to decline his $2.2 million player option to play a second year with the team, according to ESPN. He will now become a free agent on July 1st.
This past year, Lin averaged 11.7 points, 3.2 rebounds and 3 assists per game in his first season with the Hornets (the third best stats on the team, behind Al Jefferson and Kemba Walker). He signed a two-year, $4.3 million contract with Charlotte last July, but he had the option of an early termination that would allow him to become a free agent.
The move is somewhat of a surprise, as Lin seemed to have every intention of returning to the Hornets at the end of this past season. “If you asked me would I be interested in coming back, there’s no question in my mind, it’s a resounding yes.” Lin commented to reporters.
Once Lin becomes a free agent on July 1st, the Hornets will still have a chance to increase their offer and re-sign the star, although such a move seams very unlikely since they just traded their #22 draft pick for Sacramento guard Marco Belinelli.
Sacramento is trading guard Marco Belinelli to Charlotte for the No. 22 pick, league sources tell @TheVertical.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojVerticalNBA) June 23, 2016
What do you think of the decision?
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