Jamal Crawford Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Latest On Jamal Crawford

July 6th, 2017 at 4:21pm CST by ChrisCrouse

4:21pm: The Celtics are also among the teams Crawford would consider if he’s bought out, tweets Michael Scotto of Basketball Insiders.

3:52pm: Alex Kennedy of HoopsHype (Twitter link) hears that in addition to the Wolves, Cavs, and Wizards, the Bucks would be in the mix for the shooting guard’s services in the event of a buyout. Kennedy mentions the Lakers as well, though Spears’ report (noted below) suggests the mutual interest between L.A. and Crawford has faded.

2:45pm: The three-team trade between the Nuggets, Clippers, and Hawks is expected to be finalized today and Jamal Crawford will work with Atlanta on a buyout agreement shortly after landing on the team, Chris Haynes of ESPN.com tweets.

It initially appeared that the shooting guard preferred to sign with the Lakers given his home in Los Angeles and his relationship with No. 2 overall pick Lonzo Ball. However, Marc J. Spears of the Undefeated reports (Twitter link) that neither Crawford nor the Lakers have much interest in working on a deal. The scribe adds that 37-year-old is expected to have interest from the Wolves, Cavs, and Wizards once a buyout is completed.

The Warriors were considered front-runners to sign Crawford earlier in the week, but the team opted to sign Nick Young to bolster its second unit. Crawford played for the Warriors during the 2008/09 season.

Atlanta is under no obligation to reach a buyout agreement with the shooting guard and the team could decide to trade him or keep him on the roster. It was reported earlier in the week that if Crawford wanted a buyout, he would have to give up a “significant portion” of his salary. He’s set to make over $17.2MM in guaranteed salary over the next two seasons.

Jamal Crawford Prefers To Land With Lakers If Bought Out

July 4th, 2017 at 4:56pm CST by Luke Adams

Due to a $14MM+ salary for 2017/18, Jamal Crawford is viewed as a crucial piece of a proposed sign-and-trade acquisition of Danilo Gallinari for the Clippers. However, if Crawford joins the Hawks as part of that deal, he’d likely seek a trade or buyout, and according to Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated, the guard’s preferred landing spot is back in Los Angeles — with the Lakers.

As Spears explains, Crawford’s family is based in Los Angeles, and the 37-year-old has a “solid relationship already in place” with No. 2 overall pick Lonzo Ball, making the Lakers a logical landing spot. And Crawford’s interest in the Lakers is reciprocated by the team, per Spears. Brad Turner of The Los Angeles Times adds (via Twitter) that the Lakers are “a real option” for Crawford.

Still, there are several roadblocks that could stand in the way of a union between the Lakers and Crawford. For one, the three-way deal that would send Gallinari to the Clippers and Crawford to the Hawks hasn’t been finalized yet, though it does seem likely to happen.

If that deal is completed, the Hawks would initially intend to hang onto Crawford, league sources tell Sam Amico of AmicoHoops.net. While the club might consider buying out or trading Crawford, his contract wouldn’t be an easy trade chip to move without attaching an asset to him, and the Hawks would be reluctant to do a buyout unless the veteran guard is willing to give up a substantial portion of the $17MM+ in guaranteed money left on his deal, per an earlier report.

Even if Crawford were to be sent to the Hawks and then bought out, the Lakers would face competition from contending teams like the Cavaliers and Warriors for his services.

Warriors Considered Front-Runners For Jamal Crawford

July 4th, 2017 at 11:15am CST by Arthur Hill

11:15am: The Cavaliers and Spurs are also interested in Crawford if the buyout goes through, Haynes tweets, although Atlanta would prefer to trade him. Crawford has more than $17.2MM in guaranteed money over the next two seasons, and the Hawks would want him to give up a significant portion of that before agreeing to a buyout, according to Sam Amick of USA Today (Twitter link).

9:24am: Once Jamal Crawford gets bought out by the Hawks, there’s a good chance he will sign with the Warriors, according to Chris Haynes and Marc J. Spears of ESPN.com.

Crawford is part of a proposed three-team trade that would send Paul Millsap to the Nuggets and Danilo Gallinari to the Clippers. Crawford would be shipped to the Hawks, along with Diamond Stone, and will petition Atlanta for a buyout, sources told ESPN.

Once he hits the market, Golden State would be favored to sign him with its $5.2MM taxpayer mid-level exception.

Crawford, 37, played for the Warriors during the 2008/09 season and often talks about how much he enjoys the Bay Area, according to Haynes and Spears. The three-time Sixth Man of the Year appeared in all 82 games for the Clippers this season, averaging 12.3 points per night. He has said he will only consider playing for contenders once the buyout is complete.

The Warriors are also pursuing Nick Young, the authors add, with Draymond Green and Kevin Durant playing a part in the recruiting. The 10-year veteran is also in talks with the Pelicans, who can offer more playing time, but Golden State could give Young his first chance to win a title.

The Warriors probably don’t have the resources to add both Crawford and Young, but the ESPN story says there is a “strong possibility” they will land one of them.

Clippers, Nuggets, Hawks Discuss Gallinari Sign-And-Trade

July 4th, 2017 at 12:25am CST by Luke Adams

JULY 4, 12:25am: The Nuggets are expected to receive some form of draft compensation in the proposed deal – assuming it gets done – for their willingness to facilitate a sign-and-trade of Gallinari, Wojnarowski says in his full ESPN report. It would likely come in the form of a second-round pick from the Hawks, according to Sam Amick of USA Today, who tweets that Atlanta would receive cash in the deal.

JUNE 3, 11:40pm: Crawford has “no plans” to play in Atlanta if this three-way trade gets finalized, so a buyout or another trade of Crawford is considered necessary for the Hawks if they acquire him, tweets Amick.

11:27pm: The proposed sign-and-trade would send Gallinari to the Clippers and Millsap to the Nuggets, with Jamal Crawford, Diamond Stone, and a first-round pick heading to the Hawks, tweets Shams Charania of The Vertical. The first-rounder would likely be the pick L.A. acquired from Houston in last week’s Paul trade, tweets Wojnarowski.

ESPN’s Brian Windhorst suggests (via Twitter) that Crawford may want a buyout if he ends up in Atlanta, though with $14MM+ on his cap hit for 2017/18 and a partial guarantee on his deal for the following year, that could be tricky.

11:16pm: Free agent forward Danilo Gallinari is leaning “strongly” toward committing to sign with the Clippers, league sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link). If Gallinari reaches a deal with L.A., it’s expected to be a three-year pact worth $65MM, per Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

According to Sam Amick of USA Today (via Twitter), the Nuggets and Hawks would both be involved in the agreement if Gallinari and the Clippers strike a deal, with the former No. 6 overall pick heading to Los Angeles in a sign-and-trade scenario. The involved parties are still working through the details, but Atlanta would land a first-round pick in the proposed deal, tweets Amick.

The Clippers don’t currently have the cap flexibility to accommodate a market-value Gallinari signing without a sign-and-trade, but the Nuggets won’t be eager to take much – if any – salary back in a sign-and-trade, since they’ve earmarked most of their cap space for Paul Millsap. As such, it makes sense for a team with cap room like the Hawks to enter the mix — they could absorb some outgoing salary from the Clippers, getting a draft pick in the process as a sweetener. And, with Denver involved, they could also include Millsap in the deal.

We’ll wait to see whether the three teams – and Gallinari’s camp – can all come to an agreement, but if the Clippers finalize a deal, they’d be hard-capped for the 2017/18 season at $125.266MM, and would still have their mid-level exception available. Los Angeles shook up its roster last week by trading Chris Paul to the Rockets, but picked up a few interesting pieces in that trade, such as Patrick Beverley, Lou Williams, Montrezl Harrell, and Sam Dekker. The Clips also agreed to re-sign Blake Griffin over the weekend, so there’s still a decent amount of talent on the roster.

Gallinari, who turns 29 next month, has had some trouble staying on the court in recent years, appearing in just 175 total games over the last four seasons. However, he has been a versatile and effective scorer when he plays, averaging 18.2 PPG with a shooting line of .447/.389/.902 in 2016/17.

The Clippers reportedly met with both Gallinari and Rudy Gay over the weekend as the team aggressively sought out a small forward.

Latest On The Chris Paul Trade

June 28th, 2017 at 6:17pm CST by Arthur Hill

Chris Paul‘s departure from the Clippers today severed a relationship that began to fall apart when the team acquired Austin Rivers in 2015, according to a Facebook post from Michael Eaves of ESPN. Several Clippers believed Rivers brought an entitled attitude to the team because he is the son of coach and president of basketball operations Doc Rivers. Veterans didn’t think Austin Rivers tried hard enough to fit in, which created dissension in the locker room. Paul, in particular, thought that Austin Rivers got preferential treatment from his father.

The situation reportedly reached a breaking point prior to the trade deadline when the Knicks offered Carmelo Anthony and Sasha Vujacic to L.A. in exchange for Jamal Crawford, Paul Pierce and Austin Rivers. Doc Rivers blocked the deal, which led Paul to believe that coaching his son was more important than winning, with an unidentified league executive saying, “Chris despises Doc.”

There’s more fallout from today’s blockbuster trade:

The decision to opt in for the final year of his contract gives Paul more flexibility if he wants to team up with LeBron James next summer, Eaves notes in the same post. He mentions the Rockets, Lakers and possibly the Clippers, if Doc Rivers is gone, as potential destinations for that to happen. In the meantime, Paul can see how well his game meshes with James Harden‘s and gets a financial windfall because Texas doesn’t have a state income tax.
Austin Rivers denied on Twitter that he had anything to do with Paul’s desire to leave. “These false rumors are comedy…so fictional it’s actually amusing! People will say or do anything to get attention,” he posted. He concluded the message with “A lot of clowns out there,” using two clown emoji symbols.
The Clippers were concerned about the later years of Paul’s next contract, tweets David Aldridge of TNT. A five-year deal in excess of $200MM would have paid Paul nearly $45MM at age 37, and L.A. wasn’t willing to make that commitment.
Newly hired Clippers consultant Jerry West didn’t attend Tuesday’s meeting with Paul, according to Chris Broussard of Fox Sports 1 (Twitter link).
The Rockets would have preferred to clear cap space by trading Ryan Anderson, but there wasn’t much of a market available, reports Zach Lowe of ESPN.com. Two teams that were interested asked for two first-round picks in exchange for taking the three years and $60MM left on Anderson’s contract.
Trading for Paul before July 1st will allow the Rockets to enter free agency over the salary cap, Lowe adds, giving them access to a full midlevel exception worth more than $8MM and a biannual exception topping $3MM.
The Rockets will continue to pursue other stars, but probably can’t offer Trevor Ariza in any deal, according to Lowe. Paul remains close with his former teammate in New Orleans, and the chance to reunite played a decision in Paul’s decision to pick Houston. The Clippers, Lowe relays, had made several attempts to obtain Ariza.
Rockets GM Daryl Morey credits Harden for making today’s trade happen. In a video posted by Mark Berman of Fox 26 in Houston, Morey says the Rockets now have the two best playmakers in the league.

Knicks, Clippers Expected To Re-Open Trade Talks

May 1st, 2017 at 9:03am CST by Arthur Hill

Another early playoff exit for the Clippers may reignite trade talks with the Knicks involving Carmelo Anthony, writes Marc Berman of the New York Post.

The teams had extensive discussions before the February deadline, but New York’s front office turned down several L.A. proposals. The difference this time might be shooting guard J.J. Redick, whom the Clippers were not willing to include before, but may be available now in a sign-and-trade.

Like many observers, Berman expects a shakeup in Los Angeles this summer. Chris Paul is almost certain to opt out and re-sign, and he would love to see the team acquire Anthony, a long-time friend. An offer centered around Redick and Austin Rivers might be enough to make it happen.

The 32-year-old Redick would replace Jamal Crawford in the package that the Clippers were offering in February. An 11-year veteran, he averaged 15.0 points per game this season and shot .429 from 3-point range. One of the top long-distance shooters in the league throughout his career, Redick would fill an obvious need in New York.

Rivers, 25, would fill another need with his defensive prowess and his flexibility to play three positions. He re-signed with the Clippers last summer and is under contract through next season, with a $12.65MM player option for 2018/19.

Berman estimates a new deal for Redick starting at $11MM, which would combine with Rivers’ $11.8MM salary to get the Clippers close to Anthony’s $28MM price (including a 15% trade kicker). Another Knick who might be included in the deal is Courtney Lee (more than $11.7MM next year), whom the Clippers asked about in February, so the trade could become much larger. L.A. doesn’t have a first-round pick to offer until 2021.

With a no-trade clause in hand, Anthony will have final approval on any deal. While the thought of joining Paul, DeAndre Jordan and possibly Blake Griffin on a contending team might appeal to him, Berman notes that personal matters could affect his decision. Anthony recently separated from his wife, LaLa, and may not want to move far away from his son.

While that will play out over the summer, it’s clear that the playoffs have changed the dynamics of the deal, just as Knicks president Phil Jackson predicted at his press conference last month.

“You lose in the first round, it didn’t work out, we gotta change some people on our team,’’ Jackson said. “So there may be some quick outs may change some people’s minds as to what they’re going to do.”

Austin Rivers Likely Sidelined For Regular Season

April 1st, 2017 at 3:57pm CST by Milo Taibi

The Clippers anticipate losing Austin Rivers for the rest of the regular season due to a left hamstring strain, Kevin Arnovitz of ESPN reports.

“I think it’s a little more serious [than initially believed],” coach Doc Rivers told reporters before Saturday’s game. When asked of Austin’s prospects for the postseason, Doc replied “We don’t know. I would say it’s 50-50.”

Per Arnovitz, Rivers’ injury occurred during the second quarter of Wednesday’s game against the Wizards. Having already locked up a playoff spot, the decision to potentially shut down Rivers for the season appears to be a cautious one. Raymond Felton and Jamal Crawford will likely split minutes at point guard in Rivers’ absence.

Austin addressed his injury with Bill Oram of the O.C. Register yesterday, voicing frustration at the prospect of being sidelined until the playoffs.

“This is the time of year, if anytime, I want to be healthy. … At least it’s not during the playoffs,” Rivers said. “People are always looking for something wrong with our team instead of looking for what’s right. Why don’t you look at how many injuries we’ve had and still been able to hold down the ship in the West, and still be a top-five seed in the West without Blake and Chris for a big chunk of games?”

James Harden “Put A Word In” To Acquire Lou Williams

March 24th, 2017 at 11:28am CST by Milo Taibi

According to a report from Shams Charania of The Vertical, James Harden was instrumental in Houston’s acquisition of Lou Williams. A former Sixth Man award recipient, Williams was enjoying a productive season with the Lakers- averaging a career-best 18.6 points on 44.4% shooting over 58 games. Two weeks before the deadline, Harden made his pitch to Williams.

“When James called, he asked me if I was interested in playing with them,” Williams told Charania. “I told him that I loved the Lakers, but James and them have a group that fit my personality, fit how I play. He said he was going to make it happen. I’ve heard that before, so I didn’t really put stock into it. I guess James did put the word in, and the team made it happen.”

The task of trading for Williams was a challenging one, Charania notes, due to the ongoing transition period in the Lakers’ front office. The deal was eventually completed, with Lou heading to Houston in exchange for Corey Brewer and the projected 27th overall draft pick. Williams, who has given the Rockets “some punch off the bench,” has earned the praise of coach Mike D’Antoni.

“We needed one more guy that could create, and Lou is perfect,” D’Antoni told The Vertical. “Lou is a professional scorer. In case someone is off, if someone is injured, Lou brings another 15 to 20 points. We still need to incorporate everything. You can never have enough shooters and playmakers, and he does both.”

Showing no signs of slowing down in his age-30 season, Williams compared himself to Jamal Crawford of the Clippers. Crawford, 37, has remained a featured member of Doc Rivers‘ rotation in his 17th season.

“Until the wheels fall off for us,” Williams said. “I already have 12 [seasons] in the can. Forty for me probably would be a little farfetched, because of being in my 12th season, being 30. Forty would be, what, 22 seasons? I don’t know if I got 22 seasons in me, but God willing, I’ll get close.”

Pacific Notes: Walton, Buss, Crawford

March 18th, 2017 at 12:04pm CST by Austin Kent

When Luke Walton shifted from his role as an assistant coach with the Warriors to head coach of the Lakers, an adjustment period was expected. ESPN’s Baxter Holmes recently profiled the transition that Walton has undergone in California, adjusting not only to a new routine and staff but an entirely new culture.

“Really, it shifts your entire life because your daily routine is so much different from the stress and the grind and the everything,” Walton told him as the Lakers look back on a 20-49 record, “I do my best to stay in the right frame of mind.”

Walton adds that there have been plenty of sleepless nights but remains optimistic about the young Lakers roster and about coaching in general.

“The job itself is still the same,” he says now amid the ongoing Lakers rebuild. “It’s rewarding. It’s exciting. Now we’re competing for different things there and here, but the competition level is right there from the daily practices to the games.”

There’s more out of the Pacific Division:

In an effort to open up communication across all levels of the organization Lakers president of basketball operations Magic Johnson and new general manager Rob Pelinka have been meeting with players at practice. “It’s good for us being able to talk to them and pick their brains as well and having that open-door presence,” Jordan Clarkson told Mark Media of the Los Angeles Daily News.
Current franchise president Jeanie Buss has asked her brothers for permanent assurances that they’ll vote for her to remain the controlling owner of the Lakers, writes Ramona Shelburne of ESPN, as well as to remain on the board of directors.
Veteran guard Jamal Crawford recently spoke with Alex Kennedy of HoopsHype about the trade rumors that popped up with his name in them prior to the trade deadline. “It was a little bit frustrating. You hate to hear it, and this time was a little bit different since I had just re-signed [with the Clippers on a three-year contract] this past summer. […] For me, I’m just glad it’s over with and we’re just moving forward.“
The Warriors were left with a lack of depth after signing Kevin Durant in the offseason and Marcus Thompson II of the Mercury News speculates that Omri Casspi, Mario Chalmers and Jimmer Fredette could be options to help bolster the roster as the playoffs near. That, of course, begs the question of who the team would need to cut if they made an addition.

Pacific Notes: Temple, Labissiere, Crawford

March 5th, 2017 at 7:10pm CST by Austin Kent

For the first time since his January injury, Kings veteran Garrett Temple went full speed in practice. The 30-year-old has been cautious with the injury, Jonathan Santiago of Kings.com writes, but finally found himself comfortable enough to return to the court.

“I’ve been out longer than I guess expected just because I know that I wanted to make sure that I got it all the way right,” Temple said this week before suiting up for the Kings in Sunday’s contest. “The setback I had last time was during the first day of practice. So after I got through my first day of practice yesterday without any other effects – a nice long two-hour practice – it helped my confidence.”

In 49 contests for the Kings this season, Temple had posted 7.7 points and 2.7 rebounds per game.

There’s more out of the Pacific Division:

Thrust into a larger role ever since the Kings traded DeMarcus Cousins, Sacramento big man Skal Labissiere has run with the opportunity. Shahbaz Khan of Kings.com spoke with the rookie about his experience during the 2010 earthquake in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.
Though he’ll turn 37 years old this week, Clippers guard Jamal Crawford would like to play three or four more seasons, K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune reports. Crawford is averaging 12.3 points per game in his 17th season.
The Warriors will need to re-adapt to life without Kevin Durant but Zaza Pachulia has made an effort to come to terms with it, Steve Aschburner of NBA.com writes. “If I did something on purpose or even if I had flopped, that probably would have made me feel worse,” Pachulia said, “But it wasn’t even a flop. I got pulled. I fell. Nobody had control over it.“
The lawyer of Matt Barnes requested a court date that doesn’t coincide with the NBA Finals, Rebecca Rosenberg of the New York Post writes. Barnes recently signed with the reigning two-time Western Conference champion Warriors.
The return of Chris Paul has thrown the Clippers bench into disarray, writes Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times. With Paul back in the starting five, Austin Rivers has had to slide back into the second unit. “Things like this happen,” backup center Marreese Speights said, “But we still got time to get it right before the playoffs. We’ll be all right.”