Nets Rumors: Jeremy Lin Spurned Brooklyn Last Summer

Recent Nets rumors are that the team tried to sign Jeremy Lin last offseason; could they get a re-do and actually land him this summer?

Brooklyn Nets rumors won’t pick up for a while, as they have found their head coach in Atlanta Hawks’ assistant coach Kenny Atkinson. Without a first round pick, the Nets will not be a part of the NBA Draft fun either, which means they will have to wait until NBA Free Agency to upgrade their roster. The latest rumor from the Nets is about free agency, but from last season.

According to sources that got in touch with Nets Daily, the Nets tried to sign point guard Jeremy Lin last summer. They reportedly offered Lin the mini mid-level exception, which was worth $3.376 million. But, the Nets were spurned by Lin, as his representatives believed that he could land a deal in excess of $5 million.

That kind of deal never came Lin’s way, as he ended up signing with the Charlotte Hornets for $2.139 million, which was their bi-annual exception contract. The Nets instead split the mini mid-level exception on point guard Shane Larkin and shooting guard Wayne Ellington.

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Could the Nets get a re-do with Lin this offseason? Lin is set to become a free agent after a strong season with the Hornets, as he averaged 11.7 points, 3.2 rebounds, 3.0 assists in 78 games, starting 13 and averaging 26.3 minutes per game.

He thrived in a bench role backing up Kemba Walker, but showed that he could step into the starting lineup and play well as well. Lin will be looking for another big contract this summer, and the Nets could be a match as not many teams need a point guard as much as the Nets do.

While the Nets’ aren’t the most attractive landing spot for free agents currently, the signing of Atkinson as head could make them more attractive to some player, one of those being Lin. It is no secret that Lin love New York, as Linsanity was born across the pond with the New York Knicks. One of the men behind that success for Lin? Atkinson. Atkinson was an assistant coach for the Knicks at the time, and someone that Lin spoke very highly of.

"“I mean this guy wakes up at 6 a.m. every morning. I’ll text after a game at midnight, one o’clock when I go home and I’ll say, ‘Hey can I look at those turnovers? Can I look at the upcoming team? How they run pick-and-rolls?’ And he’ll have the film ready when I walk into the facility the next morning. When I wasn’t playing much, we were working out before practice, and after practice he was picking apart my game, teaching me what it’s like to play in Coach D’Antoni’s system. I can’t say enough about that guy.”"

MSG Analyst and ESPN New York Radio personality Alan Hahn thinks a Lin return to New York could happen, saying, “I think you could see Jeremy Lin, who’s going to be a free agent, I could see him looking at Brooklyn as a destination for him because a) he’s coming back to New York where he can become a megastar again, but b) because that’s the coach,” said Hahn, who said he’s known Atkinson since he was 12..”Kenny Atkinson is the reason LinSanity was LinSanity. Jeremy will tell you that.”

Next: Kenny Atkinson A Great Hire For Nets

The 27-year old Lin is looking to cash in this summer after a strong campaign with the Hornets to rebuild his value. The Nets could give him a solid contract and a starting spot, along with being reunited with the man who helped turn Jeremy Lin from an unknown to a globally recognized player. It could be a perfect match as the Nets look to rebuild their team and Lin looks to continue the positive momentum he built this season.

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