Hoooray!!!!
Lin is headed to the Lakers to play w/Nash (who is a great future HOF player, who has been a friend and mentor to Lin, and who is likely to retire soon) and to w/Kobe (another future HOFer and someone he can assist and learn from before he also retires).
Couldn't be better for Lin. Didn't see any future for him with 6ers, Bulls or Celts or back w/the Knicks. Frankly, it was the trade that I was hoping for. It's his chance to play as a "true" point guard." He played great for D'Antoni during "Linsanity" in NYC but unfortunately (for Lin) D'Antoni has already resigned. The only question is who will take over as the Lakers' coach and whether he'll actually let Lin play the way that McHale didn't. If Kobe gets what he wants (which he probably will) the new coach will be Byron Scott. Not sure how Scott (or anyone else) would handle Lin but it can't be any worse that what McHale did to Lin in Houston.
It was speculated that Bosh would leave Miami, if LeBron went to Cleveland as has now just happened, to sign a max contract w/the Rockets but the rumor is now that Bosh is going to stay in Miami instead, since Miami is offering Bosh $118M for 5 years given LeBron's departure. If Bosh doesn't sign with Houston, Houston can match Dallas' $45M (3 yr) offer in the next day or so to keep Parsons but, if I were Parsons, I'd hope they won't do that, so that he can escape from Houston too.
Houston would be stupid not to match Dallas' offer for Parsons now that Melo has apparently also agreed to re-sign w/the Knicks but they may need that money to sign Rondo (if he's actually available). If they can't get Rondo either, they'll be left holding the bag and will have to rely just Beverly and Harden in the back court (since they also traded Brooks) and will only have Parsons (if they don't let him go) and Jones (if they haven't given him up too) to help out in the front court.
That'll be a pretty thin roster now and, unless they can make some other key trades to bolster their bench, I think they'll end up in the basement of the the Southwest Division below San Antonio (who will continue to own the division) and below both New Orleans (who got Asik) and Dallas (if they get Parsons).
Karma's a bitch!!!!
What ever happens, I'm ecstatic for Lin. The Rocket's have done nothing but disrespect him and attempt to diminish Lin's self-confidence and skills. IMHO, LA is currently the BEST team and market for him. LA was in last place in the Pacific Division last year (due in large part to Kobe's injury) and have no place to go but up. It's a major US sports market and the Lakers can pump the Asian market to make their money back on Lin and Lin can go to a place where he'll find significant fan support and where people will be more likely to pull for (rather than against) him to succeed before he's eligible for free-agency at the end of next year.
The only thing I'll have to get over is "rooting" for LA -- which will be hard for this native San Franciscan to do -- but if I could root for Houston when Lin was on the team, I'll be able to root for LA too.
LOL!!!!
