Jeremy Lin has been granted Early-Bird rights, which gives more leeway for the New York Knicks to sign the star point guard.
Kenneth Dam made the decision to change the ruling present under the collective bargaining agreement.
This means the Knicks can sign Lin for at least $5 million. This also includes Steve Novak. They do not have to worry about reaching their salary cap and can focus on signing another one of their free agents.
Or maybe Ray Allen?
After more than a week of deliberation, the Knicks have a clearer idea of the players they will have on their team.
Lin exploded on to the basketball scene after he came off the bench and played for the Knicks while key players were dealing with injuries.
One of the issues the Knicks had prior to Lin's emergence was having a regular starting point guard.
When he got his opportunity against the New Jersey Nets, Lin seized the moment.
He played 35 minutes, scoring 25 points and finished the night with 7 assists. He led the Knicks to a seven-game winning streak and revived their season.
He immediately became a sensation and continued adding memories to his success.
On Valentine's Day, Lin made the game-winning three-pointer as time ran out in Toronto. That became the highlight of his season.
The Knicks will now have to decide if they will use their draft picks to get a back for Lin or if they will spend money on Jason Kidd, who would be a good mentor for Jeremy Lin.
