Jeremy Lin was open to the idea of returning to New York for the upcoming 2015-16 NBA season, but the Knicks did not express interest in acquiring their former playmaker.
Lin enjoyed the best year of his career in New York, where he had a breakout season in 2012. The former Harvard University standout had a string of impressive performances, which was later coined as "Linsanity."
But after his breakout season, the Knicks opted not to match the three-year deal worth $25 million offer from the Houston Rockets. Lin played two seasons in Houston before he was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers last year.
Lin became an unrestricted free agent this summer and the Lakers also opted to go into a different direction. In turn, the 27-year-old point guard signed a two-year, $4.3 million contract with the Charlotte Hornets.
But before signing with the Hornets, Lin revealed in an interview with the New York Daily News that his camp reached out to the Knicks, but they did not get a favorable response from New York.
"I've always been open to it, ever since I, you know, I don't want to say I necessarily left, ever since, but I've always been open to it," Lin said of returning to the Knicks. "But I don't think they're as open to it."
Lin also addressed his tumultuous years in Houston and Los Angeles, where he did not enjoy as much as he did during his lone season with the Knicks.
"It was very difficult for various reasons," Lin said of his stint with the Rockets and Lakers. "In Houston, they kind of brought me in and didn't know they were going to get James Harden. Me and James are both ball-dominant pick-and-roll players. And L.A. was just a different system and they were going in a different direction in general."
Now that he is with the Hornets, Lin is expecting a much easier transition because he could get a bigger role, especially after Michael Kidd-Gilchrist was ruled out indefinitely with the torn labrum.
Earlier this month, Hornets team owner Michael Jordan called Lin as their most important acquisition in the offseason. He immediately proved why, as he led the Hornets to two straight victories against the Los Angeles Clippers.
