Although Jamal Crawford was planning to opt out of his contract, he extended his decision deadline for his player option two weeks, until June 29th. This move allows the Trail Blazers to try to find a suitable trade partner for Crawford on or before draft night. If the Blazers find a destination Crawford likes, he could agree to exercise his player option and be dealt. And according to Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com, there's no lack of trade interest in Crawford. The Blazers are fielding offers from a number of teams, with the 76ers, Timberwolves, and Celtics among the most active suitors.
According to Haynes, the Clippers and Suns have also shown a "diminuitive interest" in Crawford. None of the five potential suitors Haynes mentions come as a real surprise — a number of them have shooting guards facing free agency, such as Nick Young for the Clippers, Ray Allen for the Celtics, and Lou Williams for the Sixers. The T-Wolves and Suns, meanwhile, have both been rumored to be targeting two guards in the draft.
While there's a good chance Crawford could land a multiyear offer with a higher guarantee than his $5.23MM player option, should he hit free agency, a trade would allow him to keep his Bird rights, as Haynes points out. If Portland can't find an offer that works for both the team and for Crawford, the 32-year-old figures to opt out of his contract on Friday and hit unrestricted free agency.
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