Jeremy Lin Takes NBA’s Second Largest Pay Cut into 2015-16

It should be no surprise that Jeremy Lin will be taking a pay cut into the 2015-16 NBA season with his new team the Charlotte Hornets. Nor should it be for anyone on the Hoop Rumors “Largest Pay Declines” list which includes Amare Stoudemire, Deron Williams and Andrea Bargnani; except for maybe David West if you’ve been caving all summer.

What might be unexpected, however, is just how much less Lin is taking. The soon-to-be 6th year guard is coming off a disappointing year in LA, and is second on the list behind Stoudemire for the largest difference between last year’s salary and the upcoming season. This is essentially Lin’s underwhelming play in 2014-15 coupled with that “poison pill” contract everyone was talking about when the Houston Rockets signed him in 2012. Jeremy Lin made almost $15M last year, he’ll make just over $2M to play for the Hornets.

Lin said that Charlotte, “came out of nowhere,” during free agency, and the more he talked to them, the more he felt like it was the right fit. It didn’t take long for Lin’s team to accept the deal, and as far as you can see from interviews, he seems very pleased with the opportunity. More on his decision to sign with the Hornets in this interview with TWC Charlotte.