New York Knicks News: Is Jeremy Lin Worth The Money?

Before flying back to New York, he agreed to a four-year $28.9 million contract that left the Knicks in a curious situation. The Knicks can still retain Lin by matching the Rockets' offer by July 14, but face

The Knicks, who were looking to add depth to the point guard position, were in the process of searching for the solution to their problem when they heard the news.

Despite the surprise, the Knicks continued their search and landed 18-year-veteran Jason Kidd.

Kidd, who was a member of the Dallas Mavericks team that scorched the Heat in the 2011 Finals, was enticed to come to New York because they are much more championship-ready than Dallas is.

However, the Knicks were not pursing Kidd to replace Lin, but rather to mentor him as a backup.

The Knicks are highly interested in keeping Lin after he gave them a shot of energy in February. The Knicks were without Carmelo Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire to injuries, but Lin emerged as the game-changer New York had been missing for so long. In a 10-game-span, Lin averaged 26.3 points, 10.1 assists, and 2.6 steals per game.

Since those crazy games, the Linsanity around the nation has died down greatly, and since his performance did not remain consist towards the end of the season, many speculated that it could have just been a fluke.

Lin's reputation took another hit when he was forced to sit out the playoffs due to lingering injury issues. The injury led some to question his durability and ability to play a full regular-season schedule, but the Knicks maintained all throughout the offseason that they intended to bring him back to the Big Apple.

Now the Knicks need to decide whether Lin is truly worth the money, especially a poison-pill contract that sees years three and four jump up to $9.3 million a year.  The Knicks' signing of Jason Kidd indicated that they'd like to compete for a title now, but does signing Lin help them accomplish that goal?

The Knicks, based on reports of their desire to re-sign Lin, believe yes, but only time will tell whether the roster currently constructed can compete with the likes of the Miami Heat, Boston Celtics, and Chicago Bulls in the Eastern Conference.