Will he or won't he? We are finally going to find out. The New York Knicks have until midnight tonight (July 17, 2012) to match Jeremy Lin's offer from the Houston Rockets. Otherwise, Lin will be gone. The debate on whether or not the Knicks should match the offer has been the most polarizing topic this NBA offseason. But I am starting to believe that the Knicks will bring Lin back.
No Poison Pill
Lin and the Rockets reworked their deal, making it even harder for the Knicks to match it. But it is still no poison pill for the Knicks to swallow. The additional revenue that Lin generates will far outweigh the luxury tax penalties that the Knicks will face three years from now. Lin is a cash cow, and the world knows it.
Fan Backlash
Letting Lin go (for nothing) will disappoint Knicks fans to no end. Every television highlight showing Lin in a Rockets uniform will feel like a punch in the stomach to Knicks fans. And with the Brooklyn Nets on the rise, Knicks fans may just convert. As one fan stated, "It would mean management does not care not a lick for the fans. Not a lick. I am, from the moment they don't match the Lin deal, a Brooklyn Nets fan for life."
The Time Is Now
With the additions of older veterans like Jason Kidd and Marcus Camby, the Knicks are clearly trying to win now. So why are they worrying about luxury tax payments three years down the road? Who knows what the team will look like then? Who knows for sure what the salary cap situation will be? Teams change. Just look at the Knicks this offseason.
Free Agency Losers
Lin is one of the top free agent prizes this summer. Right now, the Knicks have the power to bring him back. Letting Lin go for nothing makes the Knicks the biggest losers in free agency.
Lin Is One of a Kind
Lin is a special circumstance. He is one of a kind. So the Knicks must treat him that way and pay him. With the attention that Lin brings on and off the court, he doesn't have to play like an elite point guard to justify his contract. Lin just has to win, and his legions of fans will adore him. And with the Knicks' talented roster, Lin doesn't have to do it all.
These are the reasons why the Knicks will bring Lin back today. Lin is not the problem for the Knicks. He is the solution. He is the future. There are a few players I'd like to see leave the Knicks, but Lin is definitely not one of them.
More from Edwin Torres:
Reports that Jeremy Lin is Upset with the New York Knicks Are Silly: A Fan's Take
A Quick Look at New York Knicks Point Guard Pablo Prigioni: A Fan's View
LeBron James' Flopping is a Disgrace to the NBA: Fan's Take
Did Racism Keep Jeremy Lin Down? Fan View
Edwin Torres was born in New York City. He has been a Knicks fan since the early 1980s. He has visited Madison Square Garden on many occasions to watch the Knicks and his favorite player, Patrick Ewing. For more articles, follow him on Twitter @FlipPoker.
