NY Knicks: How the Absence of Steve Nash Led to Jeremy Lin’s Departure

Nash is now a member of the Los Angeles Lakers, but he almost joinedthe Knicks. And had he done so, Lin wouldn’t be headed to Houston, or anywhere else for that matter.

No, it’s not because Lin would have refused to sign a deal with anyone other than the Knicks. And it’s not because Lin would have taken less money to develop under the ageless Nash.

It’s because the Knicks would have run out of other options.

After New York failed to land Nash, it went after Plan B, a la Jason Kidd. Though Kidd is a widely-respected figure throughout the NBA, he’s no longer a clear cut starter. And despite Lin taking the basketball world by storm merely months ago, he’s not a bona fide starter either.

Enter Raymond Felton.

When things between Lin and the Knicks—or rather, James Dolan—went sour, Felton was brought in to be the starting point guard, but more importantly, to replace Lin.

Would Felton have agreed to return to New York to play behind Steve Nash? Absolutely not. He still considers himself a starter, hence why he wouldn’t have joined the Knicks if he knew he would be playing behind Lin.

Somewhat obviously, playing behind a perennial All-Star like Nash is much different than backing up a player like Lin, who’s capitalizing off 15 minutes of fame. That said, pride is a fickle friend, and right now, Felton isn’t prepared to add “backup” to his resume.

So, in theory, had the Knicks traded for Nash, Lin wouldn’t be in Houston. Kidd would have re-signed with the Mavericks immediately after, rendering him unavailable when Lin’s offer sheet was upped. And then, while New York could have stilled looked to Felton, his refusal to accept a backup role would have made such an acquisition unlikely.

That would have left Lin, who would have been overpaid, but the most promising prospect available. Not only that, perhaps the Knicks would be singing a different financial tune had they known Lin would be learning from the best of the best in Nash. Because while Kidd is a legend, he’s already shown all of New York he’s a bit of a wild card.

What does it all mean in the scheme of things?

Perhaps very little, but it’s a fact nonetheless and another bitter piece of information for Knicks fans to consider and attempt to digest, or ignore; the Lin saga lasted so long that Felton was the only other option.

Had Nash been brought into the fold, though, there would have been no other options. All worthy floor generals would have already inked a contract or be unwilling to play second fiddle on basketball’s biggest stage.

Except Lin.