Jeremy Lin, a 26-year-old Palo Alto, Calif. native who played point guard for the Los Angeles Lakers last season, signed a free agent contract with the Charlotte Hornets on July 9.

“We’re really excited to add Jeremy to our team,” said Hornets General Manager Rich Cho in a conference call with media after signing Lin, as transcribed on the Hornets Website. “He gives us a different dimension to our point guard spot. He has experience in the league. He’s a good ball-handler. We’re really excited to add him to our lineup.”

Although the team did not release terms of the deal, ESPN.com reported hearing from a source that the contract is for Charlotte’s biannual exception — two years and $4.3 million.

Over the past five seasons, the 6-foot-3 Lin played for the Golden State Warriors, New York Knicks, Houston Rockets and the Lakers. Over his career, he averaged 11.7 points, 4.8 assists, 2.6 rebounds and 1.3 steals in 26.9 minutes per game.

Last season, he scored 11.2 points, 4.6 assists, 2.6 rebounds and 1.1 steals in 25.8 minutes a game — starting 30 of the 74 games he played in.

As a rookie with the Golden State Warriors in 2010-11, Lin averaged just 2.6 points in 9.8 minutes a game in 29 contests. The next year saw the sudden rise of what became known as “Linsanity,” as the Harvard graduate took New York by storm, averaging 14.6 points and 6.2 assists a game — starting 25 of the 35 games he played in before a season-ending injury.

In 2012-13, Lin started all 82 games in the first of two seasons with the Rockets.

In Charlotte, Lin is expected to come off the bench to relieve projected starting point guard Kemba Walker, 25, who averaged 17.3 points and 5.1 assists per game last season.

“I think he’s going to bring some energy to our backcourt and our second unit,” said Cho. “He’ll be a great addition.”

Lin and rookie guard Jordan Clarkson made history this past season, as the duo became the first all-Asian American starting backcourt in the NBA in a March 24, 2015 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Cho himself made history in 2010 as the first NBA general manager of Asian descent with the Portland Trail Blazers.