The Charlotte Hornets instilled fear in the hearts of the Miami Heat fans when Kemba Walker, Nicolas Batum and Jeremy Lin almost eliminate Dwyane Wade, Hassan Whiteside and Luol Deng from the 2016 NBA playoffs. While they failed in their goal, the Michael Jordan team managed to earn the respect of the basketball community. More importantly, the Charlotte Hornets finally saw how their investments paid off in the hardwood court. To be more specific, the NBA playoffs gave the Courtney Lee squad the motivation to once again pursue Jeremy Lin in free agency.
Flashes of the Linsanity were seen during the 2015-16 NBA season. One of the most remarkable plays of the Charlotte Hornets had been against the San Antonio Spurs when even the fans of the Kemba Walker squad were stunned when they beat Kawhi Leonard, LaMarcus Aldridge and Danny Green. Hence, rumors are rife that Jeremy Lin might just found a home in Charlotte as the Michael Jordan team reportedly offered him a max contract.
"I've played six years in the NBA; I've played on five different teams," shared Jeremy Lin when asked to discuss his free agency plans. The Linsanity added, "I've played for two D-League teams -- so seven cities in six years. I'm tired of boxes, I'm tired of moving companies, and I want to find a home."
While NBA teams are figuring out ways to get onboard the Kevin Durant free agency train, it looks like the Charlotte Hornets are following the offseason plans of the Cleveland Cavaliers. That is, the Kemba Walker squad appears to be planning to focus on keeping the core players in their roster rather than chasing other stars.
"I think you're going to see a lot of money thrown out there this summer that you haven't seen in the past," said Rich Cho. The Charlotte Hornets general manager added, "Every team is planning for it, but I still think you'll see some things that will surprise you."
Cho further noted, "We feel like from our exit interviews everyone wants to be back and our goal is to bring back as much of the core as possible."
At this point, no official confirmation has been given by Jeremy Lin or the Charlotte Hornets regarding their free agency plans. Aside from the Linsanity, the Kemba Walker squad is also expected to try to re-sign Nicolas Batum. Unlike Lin, however, the French man appears to be keen in getting a very lucrative deal in free agency.
"I say it's going to be tricky just because you have to have a meeting of the minds when negotiating. Sometimes the numbers don't pan out and you're not able to bring back who you want," shared Cho, referring to the strategies of the Charlotte Hornets in dealing with free agents this offseason.
What do you think? Will it be the best decision for Jeremy Lin to return to the Charlotte Hornets? Or should he try his luck elsewhere?
