Former Los Angeles Lakers guard Jeremy Lin announced that he has agreed to sign a deal with the Charlotte Hornets after receiving strong interest from several teams this offseason.
Lin, who is coming off a one-season stint with the Lakers after he was traded from the Houston Rockets last year, announced his decision through Instagram, where he posted a photo of the Hornets' logo.
Terms of the deal between Lin and the Hornets were not disclosed, but ESPN reported the 26-year-old agreed to sign a two-year contract worth $4.3 million.
Lin will be the latest addition to the Hornets, who have been busy improving their roster this offseason. Before signing Lin, the Hornets acquired Nicolas Batum in a trade with the Portland Trail Blazers, while also adding Jeremy Lamb and Spencer Hawes via trades.
The Hornets, who finished 10th in the Eastern Conference last season with their 33-49 record, also selected 2015 Associated Press College Player of the Year Frank Kaminsky as the ninth overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft.
Hornets general manager Rich Cho told reporters on Thursday that they have made conscious effort to improve their offense. Cho feels that Lin will bring a lot to the table for them next season.
"The one thing he can really do is get into the paint and with our second unit that is important because he can create shots for others," Cho said via ESPN. "We have several guys on the second unit that will benefit from that whether it's Jeremy Lamb or Spencer Hawes, Frank Kaminsky or Marvin Williams."
The former Harvard University standout were linked to several teams since the free-agency period started. The Dallas Mavericks were reportedly high on Lin, while the Lakers were also interested in bringing him back next season.
Aside from the Mavericks and the Lakers, the Chicago Bulls, Indiana Pacers, Memphis Grizzlies, San Antonio Spurs, New York Knicks and Los Angeles Clippers expressed interest in Lin.
In a statement posted on his official website, Lin said that he decided to sign with the Hornets because he felt he can contribute well to Charlotte.
"Going into my first true free agency as an NBA player this off-season, the one thing that mattered to me the most was finding a team that would be a good fit for me," Lin wrote. "I wanted to be on a team where I would be able to play freely and truly play the game I love with joy again. That has always been the most important thing to me."
Lin, who also had stints with the Golden State Warriors and New York Knicks, averaged 11.7 points on top of 4.8 assists and 2.6 rebounds per game with the Lakers last season.
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