Jeremy Lin's now former Charlotte Hornets teammates know his value.

"I hate to see him go," Hornets' star guard Kemba Walker said of the man who inked a three-year, $36 million deal with the Brooklyn Nets in the early hours of free agency.

"He deserves to be a starter in this league," Walker added. "He's such a great player and he proved that last season. There were games where I was off and he carried the team."

Lin With big Responsibilities in Brooklyn

The Nets are hoping the 27-year-old Lin can do more of that this season, and on a far more consistent basis. Word is rookie coach Kenny Atkinson plans to center much of his offense on Lin, keeping the ball in the versatile swing man's hands.

After six teams in seven seasons, Lin is ecstatic to have a team that sees him in everything they do. The fact that it's happening back in New York, scene where all the "Linsanity" first took flight makes it that much more satisfying.

"I was really, really sad," Lin recently shared of his emotions after his 2012 run with the Knicks came to an abrupt end. "I was sad the way everything went down, 'cause nothing happened the way I thought it was going to. I had wished that they had offered me a contract. And then, when I found out that they weren't gonna match, I was even more sad, 'cause honestly, I wanted to finish my career there."

Best Still to Come for Lin?

Lin returns convinced his best years are in the here and now. And coming off a paltry 21-win season, the Nets can certainly use all he has to give.

"I'm going into the next three years [thinking they] should be the best years from an athletic prime standpoint," he said. "If you look at when NBA players peak, a lot of times it's 27-30."

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