There’s a strong possibility that either LA Clippers’ super reserve Jamal Crawford or free agent Nick Young could end up with the Golden State Warriors this offseason, league sources tell ESPN.
More on Jamal Crawford Free Agency
Sources informed ESPN that Crawford would seek an immediate buyout and the Warriors would be the frontrunners for his services if they still possessed the taxpayer mid-level exception of $5.2 million, sources tell ESPN. He's made nearly $135 million over his 17-year career.
Frank Isola: Don't be surprised if Jamal Crawford, assuming he's traded to Atlanta & gets a buyout, ends up with Knicks. He's always wanted to return.
Jamal Crawford: Sometimes all you can do is sit back and laugh..
Justin Verrier: Jordan Crawford expected to sign a second 10-day with NOLA, per sources. Crawford averaged 14.2 ppg, 51 FG% in 5 games on his first 10-day.
"So in this process, it was now president vs. player, so it was different," Austin said. "And he told me and I told him, it's a business, man. The fact is if Durant would have signed there, then me and Jamal would have been somewhere else. It's just strictly a business [move]. At the end of the day, you're trying to win. So we understood that. It came down to I wasn't going to wait that much longer. Jamal's sitting here trying to figure something out. It's a stressful process ... I wanted to be back here, and that's why I decided to come back."
Jamal Crawford: In my 16 years in the nba I've never had a "home". To be in this position where I can continue my career with people I consider family means more to me than you guys will ever know. You guys have embraced my family & I, made us feel welcome since day one... A heartfelt s/o to all of you for helping us have a "home" #ClipperNation you guys are the best. Nothing but Love & Respect!!! https://t.co/QfipKFhbfO
Shams Charania: Jamal Crawford has agreed to a three-year, $42M deal to return to the Clippers, league sources tell The Vertical.
David Aldridge: Jamal Crawford returns to Clippers (@Sam Amick first). Three years, $42M, partial guarantee third year, per source.
Alex Kennedy: Jamal Crawford confirms that he has reached a three-year, $42 million deal with the Clippers: "This is where I wanted to be all along!"
Have the 76ers offered Jamal Crawford a significant free agent deal? That’s what the Orange County Register reported on Sunday. However, a league source denied that team made a significant offer.
Brad Turner: Was just told there "nothing new" between Jamal Crawford and Clippers, who remain at stalemate in negotiations. He's weighing other offers.
Dan Woike: Hearing Philadelphia has made a significant offer to Jamal Crawford
Brad Turner: mutual interest between Jamal Crawford, Warriors after GS reached out to Clips free agent guard. GS still waiting on Kevin Durant decision
Mike Mazzeo: The #Nets have strong interest in veteran free-agent G Jamal Crawford, sources say. Jamal Crawford would be a great locker room leader for the young #Nets, also went to the same school (Michigan) as Caris LeVert.
Mike Mazzeo: Jamal Crawford was disappointed in the offer he received from the #Clippers Saturday, sources say.
Isaiah Thomas: @JCrossover might as well come to Boston my brotha lol. I know we would take you!
Ramona Shelburne: Heard that Clippers formally offered 6th Man of the Year Jamal Crawford on Saturday, too. But he is still weighing options. Not sure where they get bench scoring if he bolts. They still need a starting small forward, too, after Jeff Green left.
Sam Amick: As @Ramona Shelburne noted, Clippers made an offer to Jamal Crawford. But from what I'm told, that offer will very likely lead to him leaving. These dots aren't hard to connect: Doc Rivers gives Austin three years, $35 million... offers Jamal, & now this is how the landscape unfolds.
Ian Begley: The Knicks also have interest in Austin Rivers, Eric Gordon and Jamal Crawford, among others, to fill their void at shooting guard.
Tom Moore: #NBA source: #Sixers aren't close to signing veteran FA G Jamal Crawford.
Orazio Cauchi: Uhm...Jamal Crawford started to follow Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons on Twitter. Maybe there's something going around. #Sixers
Clippers still in the mix to re-sign 6th Man of the Year Jamal Crawford. But he's also weighing at least two offers this weekend, per source. Clippers can't get serious with anyone until they hear from Durant. So dominoes still to fall.
Also on the list of players the Wolves have expressed interest in are former Wolves guard Randy Foye, reserve Brooklyn center Willie Reed, shooting guard Courtney Lee, former Hopkins and Gophers star forward Kris Humphries, guard Jamal Crawford, forward/center Brandon Bass and center Ian Mahinmi. Most of those players would add depth and bench strength to the Wolves.
Darren Wolfson: The #Twolves today have called on FA SG Jamal Crawford. Layden/Thibs have called on many guys.
He’s an unrestricted free agent looking for a landing spot, whether it’s back with the Clippers or another team willing to pay him a nice salary to provide buckets. “I’ve always said my preference is to return to the Clippers, but I have to go into this process very open-minded,” Crawford said Friday during an interview on NBA TV. “I’m very open-minded in this process and then just play it by ear and go from there.”
Brad Turner: Jamal Crawford on NBA TV on free agency: "I'm very open minded."
Chris Broussard: In addition to Dallas and Orlando, Miami, Nets, Philly and GState reached out to Jamal Crawford last night/this morning, sources say
Alex Kennedy: The Sixers have expressed interest in Dion Waiters, Jamal Crawford, Allen Crabbe and other guards. Philadelphia has a ton of money to spend.
The Heat wants to add a shooter and plans to pursue Jamal Crawford, who reportedly will meet with Orlando on Friday.
Sam Amick: The Clippers' Doc Rivers made sure to call free agent Jamal Crawford this evening, I'm told, & swore to him he's going nowhere. We shall see
Alex Kennedy: No surprise, but first team to call Jamal Crawford after free agency started was the Clippers. L.A. has tough competition for JC though.
Brad Turner: Clippers called Jamal Crawford, but nothing yet. JC will meet Orlando tomorrow in LA.
Prior to them hitting the market Thursday night, the Clippers already had contact with Jeff Green, Austin Rivers, Luc Mbah a Moute, Cole Aldrich, Jamal Crawford and Wesley Johnson, according to a source. Doc Rivers has publicly said he hopes to re-sign as many of them as possible.
Jamal Crawford is set to meet with the Orlando Magic in the early hours of free agency, and the reigning Sixth Man of the Year won’t have a shortage of suitors.
Michael Scotto: Magic interested in Eric Gordon & meeting w/ Jamal Crawford on July 1, per @Alex Kennedy. I'm told Magic still plan to keep Evan Fournier.
Los Angeles Clippers' Jamal Crawford joins NBA A to Z guy Sam Amick to break down free agency. As a player, Crawford has a unique perspective on where guys might go and what the market is for other players. They discuss Kevin Durant’s situation and how Durant will be talking to Crawford’s team.
Then they talk about how Crawford, a free agent himself, stays in playing shape even in his late 30s. They also talk about other guys, in particular Dwyane Wade, who is in Crawford’s age bracket and how he might fit in with the Miami Heat’s plans.
Alex Kennedy: Unrestricted free agent Jamal Crawford will meet with the Orlando Magic on July 1, according to sources. The two sides will meet in L.A.
If the Clippers are unable to get Durant to agree to join the team, a move that would then trigger a flurry of other moves, they’ll turn their attention to their other top priority – re-signing their own free agents. With most of their salary cap – more than $70 million of it – going to Paul, Griffin, Jordan and Redick – the Clippers hope to keep their top three free agents – Jeff Green, Jamal Crawford and Austin Rivers. The Clippers have “Bird rights” for Green and Crawford and “early Bird rights” for Rivers, enabling them to go over the salary cap to re-sign those players. The team also has interest in re-signing reserves Cole Aldrich and Wesley Johnson, though the fear is both players will be out of the Clippers’ price range once they hit the market. The Clippers will still meet with Aldrich, though. And just because the Clippers have the ability to pay Green, Crawford and Rivers, there are no guarantees they’re able to secure all three.
The Knicks, Nets, Magic, Raptors, Mavericks and Heat could all pursue Crawford, the reigning Sixth Man of the Year.
In addition to pursuing Durant in free agency, the Clippers have several short-term free-agent priorities to re-sign for next season, including Jeff Green, Austin Rivers, Jamal Crawford and Cole Aldrich. Two of the Clippers’ three All-Stars – Chris Paul and Blake Griffin – could become free agents in the summer of 2017.
Brad Turner: Jamal Crawford to talk with Clippers, New York, Orlando, Dallas, Miami when free agency starts, per source.
Steve Kyler: Can't speak about Parsons can say Magic very much in the hunt for Crawford. twitter.com/Iceman1875/sta…
Sam Amick: The kind of free agency tidbits you can hear on the latest A to Z pod: After the Oladipo exit, Orlando is very interested in Jamal Crawford
Crawford, who does have a meeting scheduled with the Clippers, is also drawing interest from a number of teams in search of a scoring guard. Crawford is expected to receive interest from the New York Knicks, the Miami Heat, the Toronto Raptors, the Dallas Mavericks, the Orlando Magic and the Brooklyn Nets in addition to the Clippers.
“I definitely have to keep an open mind and see what’s out there,” Crawford said. “That’s why you’re in this position. My preference, like I’ve said from the get go, is to go back to the Clippers. But, I’m definitely very, very open-minded about the whole free-agency process.”
“It doesn’t have to be a team that’s a contender. I don’t want to go to a team that’s only won a few amount of games, but it doesn’t have to be a contender,” he said. “At the end of the day, only one team wins. You want to put yourself in the best position to try and win.”
Crawford, who turned 36 in March, said he doesn’t think his age will limit his options on the free-agent market. “I’ve been blessed enough where all the rules that come with age don’t apply to me,” he said. “People were saying I was old at 32. Look at what I’ve done the past four years. I’m so excited about this year. It’ll be one of my best years; I’m sure of it.”
Q: Are the nets interested in signing vets? - Steve Kyler: Names I have heard connected to the Nets were Jeremy Lin, Jamal Crawford and Al Horford.
Razor Ramon: If you get Kevin Durant, Joakim Noah will come and you can get Jamal Crawford for cheap plus not hard to move Kyle O'Quinn and Justin Holiday to get that 5mil. - Steve Kyler: You are not getting Jamal Crawford "cheap" this is his last significant contract, not taking a pay cut.
Finally, Jackson will turn his attention to building a supporting cast and one former Knick emerging as a viable option is Jamal Crawford, the NBA's only three-time Sixth Man of Year.
Crawford, 36, has strong support within the Knicks organization and that feeling appears to be mutual. "I'm not talking about any one team but everyone knows how I feel about New York," Crawford told The News. "I really enjoyed my time there."
Marc Berman: Heard from ex-Knick Jamal Crawford this morning. Not top of Phil's list but JC intrigued. "Anything is possible!!", Crawford emailed.
Q: What’s your hope this summer? I’m sure you’ll weigh your options since there are so many teams that have significant cap space, but are you hoping to re-sign with the Clippers? Jamal Crawford: “My preference is to re-sign with the Clippers. But I understand that, at the end of the day, I’m a free agent so I have to look at everything. I have to take every call and consider every offer that comes to me and my agent. I have to, that’s just part of being a free agent. Like I said, my preference is to re-sign with the Clippers. But we have to take every single call that comes in. That’s the way it is
Q: Has Doc Rivers talked to you at all about free agency during your exit meeting or since your season ended? Jamal Crawford: “We discussed it a little bit. He just said, ‘We want to bring you back and that’s part of the plan, for sure.’ I think I’m one of the priorities and he said that they want to bring me back to L.A. I thought the exit meeting went really well and he definitely made it clear that he wants me to re-sign.”
Q: I bring all of this up because I’m curious: Are you open to recruiting during free agency this summer? Whether it’s for the Clippers or a new team, are you going to recruit other players? Jamal Crawford: “No doubt about it. I’m glad you’re bringing it up, and I think you’re the first to do so. That’s an aspect of my free agency that a lot of people may not have thought about, but I certainly have. I feel like I’m cool with almost every player in the NBA. I think that respect comes because of, first off, what you do on the court and also who you are off the court. You’re as good as your peers think you are – no disrespect to the media or anyone else. We, as players, know who is a good pro and a great person and there’s a certain respect that comes with that. There isn’t a single player who I can’t get on the phone or talk to about a situation. When I sign with a team, I’m definitely willing to recruit and I’m almost positive I can land somebody too.”
Q: This is your first time entering free agency coming off of a Sixth Man of the Year season. How much do you think that helps you? Jamal Crawford: “I think it helps, just because one of the knocks on me could be age, but I think age is only an issue if it shows. If you just watch me play and don’t know, I feel like you might think, ‘Oh, he’s 25 or 26.’ I’m better than a lot of guys who are 10 years younger than me. And, if you look, my numbers per-36-minutes are better now than they were 10 years ago when I was with the New York Knicks. I understand the rule that ‘Father Time is undefeated’ and all that, but for whatever reason – my faith in God, my style of play and my clean living – age hasn’t had any effect on me whatsoever.”
Kia Sixth Man of the Year Jamal Crawford made it clear he’d like to remain a Clipper while appearing on “The Jump” on ESPN. Crawford said after Game 6 in Portland he’d like to stick with the team, and the upcoming free agent reiterated his comments on the show Wednesday. “That’s my first priority, to get something worked out here,” Crawford said.
If the Clippers want to bring Crawford back, they have his Bird Rights and can go over the salary cap to do so. Head coach Doc Rivers said after the season ended that his primary goal this offseason is keeping his own guys, and that sounds like something Crawford would want. “I hope so,” Crawford said. “This has been like a home for me. My family enjoys it. I feel like we’ve had so much heartache over the last few years. To break through with this group would mean everything.”
“This feels like home,” Crawford said after Game 6. “This feels like my brothers in the locker room. Obviously, that part will take care of itself in July, but I’d love to continue to further my career with the Clippers, no doubt about it.”
Doc Rivers would not get into specifics, other than to say his son is one of the players on the team he expects will “get deals this summer, and we’re hoping they’re here.” The salary cap is an issue. The Clippers — not including player options — have roughly $78 million in guaranteed contracts for 2016-17, when the cap is expected to rise to about $89 million. Jamal Crawford, Luc Mbah a Moute, Jeff Green, Pablo Prigioni and Jeff Ayers are free agents and Cole Aldrich and Wes Johnson have player options, so there are those considerations.
One of those upcoming free agents is Crawford, who said he’s been in the league 16 years and the Clippers felt like home and family more than any place he’s been. “I know my role, I respect my role, I respect my teammates,” Crawford said. “I don’t like change, so I’m very, very comfortable here, and I’d love to stay here further.”
For maybe the fifth consecutive year, Crawford says he’s good to play for five more years. He’s still got the baby face, he still has the high-arcing shot and he still has the crossover responsible for as many YouTube mixtapes as broken ankles. “I’m a product of clean living,” Crawford said.
He’s never smoked. He doesn’t drink, sipping alcohol only once in his life – on his wedding day. As a result, he’s one of two players from the 2000 NBA Draft still in the NBA. In his 16th season, he’s squarely in the race for his third Sixth Man of the Year award, averaging more points off the bench than any other player on a team currently in the playoff race. Since Blake Griffin’s injury, Crawford has stepped up, averaging 15.5 points while the Clippers have gone 26-11. “He’s unique,” Clippers coach Doc Rivers said. “I don’t know how he does it. When you look at him, he doesn’t look like he’s doing a lot of weightlifting and all that stuff. He really doesn’t. “He’s a baller.”
Jamal Crawford went back with veteran agent Aaron Goodwin, with whom he'd been most of his career. "I was with him 11 of the 16 years, so I figured being the most comfortable with him why not finish what I started,?" Crawford said via direct message on Saturday. "...With my contract coming up, I needed experience and a pit bull."
