With former Knicks point guard Raymond Felton making his return to New York via a sign-and-trade deal with the Portland Trail Blazers, all evidence points to the end of the "Linsanity" era in the city of New York.
According to ESPN's Stephen A. Smith sources say the Knicks will not match Houston's three-year, $25 million offer sheet for popular point guard Jeremy Lin.
What poses a problem for the Knicks is the third year of the Rockets' offer, worth $14.8 million. If the Knicks were to match the offer, they would also be subject to a luxury tax in the third year, bringing their total out-of-pocket cost for Lin to about $30 million in 2014-2015.
When asked if he thought Lin would return to the Knicks, Carmelo Anthony was unsure but expressed his opinion on the Rockets' contract offer to the point guard.
"It's not up to me. It's up to the organization to say that they want to match that ridiculous contract," Anthony said with a laugh Sunday before practice with the US Olympic team.
Anthony also added, "I'd love to see him back, but I think he has to do what's best for him right now."
Lin, who played just 35 games, averaged 14.6 points, 6.2 assists and 3.5 rebounds per game before his season was cut short because of surgery to repair torn cartilage in his knee.
Within his 35 game stretch Lin turned into the international phenomenon known as "Linsanity". The undrafted guard out of Harvard, who was cut twice in the preseason (once by the Rockets), rose to stardom in February, leading the Knicks to seven consecutive wins averaging at least 20 points in nine of the 10 games.
Though his time in the Big Apple is all but done, his replacement is no push-over and he also has a decent reputation with the Knicks.
During the 2010-11 season, Raymond Felton played in 54 games before being traded to the Denver Nuggets as part of the Melo-Drama that surrounded NBA All-Star Carmelo Anthony.
In a little more than half a season with the Knicks, Felton averaged 17.1 points and 9 assists before being shipped to Denver. Though his stats dropped last season with the Trail Blazers, Felton has had tremendous success in a Knick uniform, especially in the pick-and-roll offense with former teammate Amare Stoudemire.
His return is one former and new teammates are looking forward to.
"I never played with Felton so I really don't know what to expect from that situation. I can't wait if that's the case," Anthony said. "I know what he did with the New York Knicks before I even got there with Amare. I know Amare's excited about that, playing with him before I got there, so they can reunite and hopefully we make something happen."