Rockets offer Lin 4 year 30 million contract

[BballTim]

So, Celtics fans...  Anybody saddened that Danny didn't use our wonderful cap space this off-season?  Instead of KG and the rest of the gang coming back, we could be paying Omar Asik and Jeremy Lin a combined $16 million per season.

  Haha.

  I'd still like to see a reporter ask Stern and some of the hard line owners exactly what they accomplished with the lockout in terms of keeping player movement and salaries in line.

[pearljammer10]

Can someone explain to me why the Rockets are back loading their deals?

The source said the Rockets will offer Lin $5 million, $5.2 million and then plan to jack up the third and fourth years to as much as $10 million. New York Post

Asik getting 15 mil in year three... Lin bumping up to ten mil in years 3 and 4? What does this do for the Rockets except strap them financially three years from now?

[MBunge]

So, Celtics fans...  Anybody saddened that Danny didn't use our wonderful cap space this off-season?  Instead of KG and the rest of the gang coming back, we could be paying Omar Asik and Jeremy Lin a combined $16 million per season.

Forget about Houston.  The real horror show is Dallas.  They gave up a chance to repeat as champions just so they'd have cap room this offseason.  Now they might have to seriously consider trading Dirk at some point because their options for rebuilding the team are so limited.

Mike

[esel1000]

Can someone explain to me why the Rockets are back loading their deals?

The source said the Rockets will offer Lin $5 million, $5.2 million and then plan to jack up the third and fourth years to as much as $10 million. New York Post

Asik getting 15 mil in year three... Lin bumping up to ten mil in years 3 and 4? What does this do for the Rockets except strap them financially three years from now?

my guess is that they're trying to put pieces together now for a contender and worry about financial flexibility when/if they're in a better spot than they are now as a fringe playoff team 3 years down the road. thats the only reason I can think of and I still dont think its a great idea but its their way of pulling these guys away from their teams now without paying too much...yet

[mctyson]

Sometimes you have to make moves that make your team more watchable for your fan base.  Outside of NYC and San Fran there is no better place to have a Chinese/Taiwanese athlete than Houston.  Wierd, I know, but it is the truth.  

Lin, assuming he plays, will return every cent of that $30M and then some back to the pockets of the owners of the Rockets.

[Yoki_IsTheName]

7.5 million for a partial season wonder? Morey may be going for the worst GM award.

Basketball and winning wise I agree. But business, this is a great move. He's so marketable right now.

  I wonder how marketable he'd be if he hadn't had that stretch of high scoring games.

He wont. But the thing is he did. He has tons of fan base and man merchandise sales alone in Taiwan and China would be huge for business. Not to mention the Asian-American population here in the US. That's just merchs. Add the TV deals and stuff. He's a draw in a big portion of the market. That alone could maybe cover this ridiculous contract of his, and possibly Asik's.

[RebusRankin]

Yes, Dallas really messed things up.

I get the Lin deal from marketing but still a bad deal (basketball wise).

SO the Knicks lose Fields and Lin. Great off-season.

[Mencius]

Quite the payday for Lin. 

Houston runs a PG friendly system though - Brooks, Lowry, Dragic have all put up big numbers there.  Perhaps similar to the D'Antoni effect that worked so well for Lin this year.

I hope he earns it and more.  He does seem like a guy that makes others around him better.  There's no doubting that the Knicks played much better when he went on his run.  They played team ball instead of iso-ing Carmelo, etc.  Very limited sample to go on, but this could pay big dividends for Houston, in my view.  There is also bust potential, too, but I'm hoping he makes it.  I think he will be a success.    A definite roll of the dice for Houston.  Ballsy move.

[celtsfan84]

7.5 million for a partial season wonder? Morey may be going for the worst GM award.

Basketball and winning wise I agree. But business, this is a great move. He's so marketable right now.

  I wonder how marketable he'd be if he hadn't had that stretch of high scoring games.

He wont. But the thing is he did. He has tons of fan base and man merchandise sales alone in Taiwan and China would be huge for business. Not to mention the Asian-American population here in the US. That's just merchs. Add the TV deals and stuff. He's a draw in a big portion of the market. That alone could maybe cover this ridiculous contract of his, and possibly Asik's.

Perfectly worded.  Let's all remember that the NBA is a business first and a sport second.  That goes for every league, especially the NFL.

Houston not only has a huge Chinese population but also have huge international TV contracts and international business deals from when Yao was there.  The profit potential here is enormous.  Should he play well, that is an added bonus.

[celtsfan84]

So, Celtics fans...  Anybody saddened that Danny didn't use our wonderful cap space this off-season?  Instead of KG and the rest of the gang coming back, we could be paying Omar Asik and Jeremy Lin a combined $16 million per season.

  Haha.

  I'd still like to see a reporter ask Stern and some of the hard line owners exactly what they accomplished with the lockout in terms of keeping player movement and salaries in line.

That's a naive and simple way of looking at things.

The intent of the lockout was to shift more money in the owners pockets and less in the players pockets.

Basketball related income used to be 57% players, 43% owners.  It is now 50% players, 50% owners.  Mission accomplished.

David Stern could care less how that 50% is distributed.  As long as it is only 50% and not 57%.

There is about $300 million more in the owners pockets every year and $300 million less in the players pockets every year.

I'd take an extra $300 million as a victory.

[jojowhite10]

Yes, Dallas really messed things up.

I get the Lin deal from marketing but still a bad deal (basketball wise).

SO the Knicks lose Fields and Lin. Great off-season.

You may be joking here, but I think this is the best situation that could've happened for them. It's time for the Knicks to realize their roster needs legitimate pieces next to their "Big 3" because Landry and Lin weren't good enough to compensate for Stoudemire, Anthony, and Chandler's shortcomings.

It'll force them to either really rebuild or give their roster an honest lookover. That teams needs to see what direction they want to head in; Rebuild or become an actual contender.

[Who]

Good alternative to Goran Dragic for Houston.

Since it looks like they can't sign Dragic, I approve of this Jeremy Lin signing. Good job.

[The Fawb]

Can someone explain to me why the Rockets are back loading their deals?

The source said the Rockets will offer Lin $5 million, $5.2 million and then plan to jack up the third and fourth years to as much as $10 million. New York Post

Asik getting 15 mil in year three... Lin bumping up to ten mil in years 3 and 4? What does this do for the Rockets except strap them financially three years from now?

my guess is that they're trying to put pieces together now for a contender and worry about financial flexibility when/if they're in a better spot than they are now as a fringe playoff team 3 years down the road. thats the only reason I can think of and I still dont think its a great idea but its their way of pulling these guys away from their teams now without paying too much...yet

The reason these are so backloaded is because they are both RFA's who are making less than the MLE, which means they can only make the MLE in their first two years of a contract, then can make the max (with a new team that is). This is what is known as a poison pill contract. If they are traded though, they average salary for all three (or four) years is counted instead of the actual salary.

[Celts Fan 92]

rofl for a week nd a half of good play prisoner of da moment GM's Houston been eatin hella L's durin dis offseason, wasnt no point of da lockout foreal

[fairweatherfan]

Can someone explain to me why the Rockets are back loading their deals?

The source said the Rockets will offer Lin $5 million, $5.2 million and then plan to jack up the third and fourth years to as much as $10 million. New York Post

Asik getting 15 mil in year three... Lin bumping up to ten mil in years 3 and 4? What does this do for the Rockets except strap them financially three years from now?

To prevent other teams from matching, and to have huge expiring deals to trade down the line if Lin and Asik don't pan out.