After Lin Yi and Paul wrapped up watching the 2012 NBA Draft together, the Knicks wasted no time making their first big summer move.
For New York, nothing mattered more than locking down an early extension with Lin Yi. Thanks to the Lin Yi–Rose Rule, he was eligible for a max contract worth 35% of the salary cap.
How massive was that? Put it this way: in the future era of ballooning caps, the deal would've been on par with Curry's $200 million contract.
The announcement lit up Twitter instantly. Lin Yi became the first player since the lockout to secure a nine-figure deal right after his rookie contract. Fans, analysts, and even rival players couldn't look away.
The rest of the members from the 2009 draft felt the sting. Curry was set to sign his own extension with Golden State — a max at 25% of the cap. It was life-changing money, sure, but still dwarfed by Lin Yi's deal.
Griffin, meanwhile, qualified for the Rose tier after back-to-back All-Star selections. His Clippers extension would be five years, $95 million at 30% of the cap, effective in 2013. DeRozan also secured his future in Toronto.
But the Lin Yi Privilege?
That was untouchable. MVP within four years, two All-NBA First Team nods, two All-Star selections — the bar was so high most rookies didn't even dare to dream about it. Lin Yi had turned the impossible into reality, and in doing so, broke a lot of hearts.
Future rookies would hear Lin Yi Privilege and grit their teeth. It was like being shown a feast you could never taste.
....
Lin Yi's new deal: five years, $180 million, effective in 2013, with a player option in the final year. And then came the kicker — a no-trade clause.
GM Donnie Walsh pushed back hard. But Knicks owner James Dolan shut him down in his usual blunt style:
Dolan: "Donnie, just give Lin Yi whatever he asks for. If I could, I'd pay him $50 million a year and sign him for life."
The Knicks hadn't won the 2011–12 title, but their market value had already soared past $5 billion. For Dolan, Lin Yi wasn't just a star — he was the franchise's golden goose. As long as Lin Yi stayed, the Knicks would be in the championship conversation every season.
...
Griffin had been ready to flex his own extension. But when the Knicks dropped Lin Yi's numbers, he quietly muted the group chat.
Lin Yi's player option was strategic. He knew the cap would spike, and opting out later meant an even bigger payday.
The Knicks also extended Shaun Livingston for four years, $12 million. Injuries had plagued him, but the team believed he'd bounce back. Lin Yi himself thought Livingston's "durability stat" would eventually max out once he got through the rough patch.
Then came Billups. His contract expired, and instead of negotiating, he invited Lin Yi to dinner.
"Lin, the Clippers offered me one year, ten million. I'm heading west."
It was a twist in his career arc. Originally, post-injury, he'd have joined L.A. for the minimum. But with cap space wide open and Eric Bledsoe needing a mentor, the Clippers gave him a generous deal. Sterling, stingy as ever, wasn't about to pay luxury tax — but he also wasn't going to risk fines for missing the salary floor.
And in true Sterling fashion, he couldn't resist mocking Dolan about it afterward.
Billups knew the truth: after that injury, getting back to his peak was going to be nearly impossible. Big Shot didn't want to weigh the Knicks down, so he chose to finish his career with the Clippers.
In his two years in New York, Billups had already reached the summit — a championship again. That alone completed his professional journey. Heading to Los Angeles wasn't about chasing glory anymore; it was about reconnecting with old friends and, as he put it with a grin, earning some final "milk money" before calling it a day.
Lin Yi respected the decision. He understood that for a veteran like Billups, choosing when and how to leave mattered just as much as the wins.
"Chauncey, you've already given New York everything. I hope you enjoy this next season with the Clippers — make it yours."
Billups chuckled, appreciating the sincerity. No dramatic speeches were needed. He had arrived in New York quietly, and he left the same way. But Knicks fans would never forget him; the 2010–11 championship banner owed plenty to his leadership and clutch moments.
Before the Knicks could even stir the free agent market, trouble landed on their doorstep. Sacramento came forward with a bold offer for restricted free agent Hassan Whiteside: three years, $24 million.
It wasn't just the money — it was the structure. The Kings dropped a classic trap contract: $5 million in each of the first two years, then a crushing $14 million in the third.
Lin Yi remembered Jeremy Lin's case vividly; this was the same kind of trap. The Knicks couldn't match it, not with their cap space already squeezed by Lin Yi's own extension.
Whiteside was tempted. Who wouldn't be? He had a ring already, but in New York, he was stuck behind Tyson Chandler. Sacramento promised him minutes, a bigger role, and a payday that was hard to ignore.
Lin Yi shook his head at the Kings' gamble. It felt like they believed every Knicks rookie was destined to be a star. But Sacramento had its reasons — rookie Tristan Thompson had thrived there, averaging 14 points and 8 rebounds in 2011–12.
What Lin Yi thought might be a bargain turned into a headache. The Kings had the flexibility to absorb the third-year spike, while the Knicks were left scrambling for a reliable backup center.
Summer in the NBA is deceptive. It looks long, but the real arms race happens fast. The best players get scooped up early, and what's left afterward are scraps. Lin Yi realized that while he was busy dismantling other teams, those same teams were plotting ways to dismantle the Knicks.
And as July rolled on, with Lin Yi and Javier Stanford worrying about the team's depth at center, the league's landscape began to shift. Big trades, shocking signings — the kind of moves that could change the balance of power overnight.
...
Please do leave a review and powerstones, helps with the book's exposure.
Feel like joining a Patreon for free and subscribing to advanced chapters?
Visit the link:
[email protected]/GRANDMAESTA_30
Change @ to a