Jamal Crawford Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Pacific Notes: Anthony, Clippers, Lakers, Papagiannis

February 5th, 2017 at 8:44pm CST by Austin Kent

The Western Conference is an offensive arms race, writes Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times, and in order for the Clippers to keep up with teams like the Warriors and Rockets, they’ll need to trade for Carmelo Anthony.

Even when Clippers veteran Chris Paul returns from a thumb injury, the Clippers will have some work to do if they want a legitimate shot at making it to the NBA Finals, especially as the teams in contention around them continue to improve. Anthony’s ability to score the ball, Hernandez suggests, could shift L.A.’s fortune. What’s more, the presence of Anthony on the roster could influence pending free agents Paul and Blake Griffin to stay in town.

On Thursday, a report from Marc Berman of the New York Post discussed the idea of Anthony ultimately coming off the bench for the Clippers, as opposed to getting shipped off to Cleveland and replacing Kevin Love on the Cavaliers. There, and again in Hernandez’s column, the idea is floated that Anthony could be acquired without any of Griffin, Paul or DeAndre Jordan involved in an outgoing package.

It’s hard not to like the sound of an Austin Rivers and Jamal Crawford package if you’re a Clippers fan but there’s no indication that those pieces alone would be enough to convince the Knicks to pull the trigger.

There’s more out of the Pacific Division:

The Lakers made the decision to bring Magic Johnson back into the executive fold and the move could have a significant impact on the franchise, writes Sam Amick of USA Today. The fact that Johnson will advise on both business and basketball decisions could eat into Jim Buss‘ role. Buss, the team’s vice president of basketball operations, once said that he would step aside from the position if the Lakers weren’t contending for titles by 2017.
In addition to the uncertainty surrounding Jim Buss’ future role with the Lakers organization, general manager Mitch Kupchak‘s job is reported to be “on the line,” writes Bill Oram of the Orange County Register.
The Clippers need to do a better job distributing backcourt minutes, writes Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times, citing inconsistent workloads as a possible concern for a team that’s already struggled with injuries. “Usually Austin or Raymond Felton has a big-minute night, and we try to reverse it the next night, especially when we go with three guards,” head coach Doc Rivers said. “When we play bigger, it’s easier, so that’s the other solution to it.”
The Kings have benefited substantially from their D-League affiliation with the Reno Bighorns, writes Chris Reichert of The Step Back, and nowhere is that more evident than in the development of lottery pick Georgios Papagiannis. The club is able to work with Papagiannis and stay involved with his growth as a player in ways that they never would be able to had he been stashed abroad.
Seven-year veteran Eric Bledsoe continues to make strides for the Suns and is enjoying his best season as a pro. “He’s taking amazing steps in his development,” head coach Earl Watson said Thursday . “It’s allowed him to become more efficient, and he’s seeing the game differently. What’s scary, in a positive way, is that he still has room to grow.”

Latest On Carmelo Anthony

January 29th, 2017 at 9:00am CST by Arthur Hill

Although the Celtics have stated that they’re not interested in dealing for Carmelo Anthony, the Knicks haven’t given up on them as a trade partner, writes Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. New York had a scout at Saturday’s Celtics game and the organization is “intrigued” by several of Boston’s players.

A source told Washburn that Knicks president Phil Jackson has issued orders to move Anthony, who has indicated that the Celtics are one of the teams he would consider waiving his no-trade clause to join. Another source says Brad Stevens would love to coach Anthony, but president of basketball operations Danny Ainge has rejected the Knicks’ overtures. Washburn adds that Boston could serve as a third team to help send Anthony to the Clippers.

There’s more this morning on the Anthony trade front:

The Celtics present the only realistic trade destination for Anthony, according to Chris Mannix of Yahoo Sports. In a video posted on CSNNE, Mannix says Ainge is in a “great position” to present the Knicks with a lowball offer and dare them to keep Anthony past the February 23rd deadline. Mannix speculates that any deal wouldn’t involve the Nets’ first-rounders that Boston owns for the next two seasons, but may include other Celtics draft picks. He also dismissed recent rumors of a Knicks-Clippers deal, saying it won’t happen unless New York is willing to accept a “garbage package” involving Austin Rivers, Jamal Crawford and others.
Anthony admits the trade rumors can be a distraction, relays Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.com. “You’ve got to deal with that, even though I try not to read it,” he told reporters. “And everywhere you go, even if you don’t hear about it, somebody is telling you about it, somebody is saying something. It can be mentally draining, mentally fatiguing.”
If the Knicks trade Anthony, they should also get rid of Derrick Rose and some of the other veterans they added over the offseason, suggests Newsday’s Al Iannazzone. Rose is a defensive liability and has already deserted the team once, Iannazzone notes, adding that he doesn’t appear to be part of the team’s “long-term solution.” He also writes that free agent additions Joakim Noah, Courtney Lee and Brandon Jennings didn’t come to New York to play for a team without Anthony, and believes the organization should commit to rebuilding if Anthony is traded.

Knicks, Clippers Seeking Third Trade Partner?

January 27th, 2017 at 7:50pm CST by Milo Taibi

7:50 pm: Sam Amick of USA Today reports that J.J. Redick is not believed to be involved in any trade talks (Twitter link). If Redick is out of the mix, talks figure to focus on Austin Rivers and a potential third team.

5:47 pm: The Knicks and Clippers are looking for a third team to complete a potential Carmelo Anthony trade, according to Ramona Shelburne and Marc Stein of ESPN. One of three players in the NBA with a no-trade clause, Anthony has been linked to the Clippers, Celtics, and Cavaliers over the past week.

The Knicks’ most substantive Anthony trade discussions have come with the Clippers, Shelburne and Stein note, after the Cavaliers rebuffed a Kevin Love-for-Anthony swap. None of the Clippers’ big three – Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, DeAndre Jordan – would be available via trade, and with the recent injury to Paul, the team would be hesitant to deal any of their healthy guards.

Various factors have contributed to the search for a third trade partner. If Jamal Crawford were to be involved in a trade, the Knicks wouldn’t want to absorb the three years and $42MM left on his contract after 2016/17. What’s more, Anthony’s 15% trade kicker would be difficult for Los Angeles to accommodate, since the team is nearing its hard cap.

The market has been slow for Anthony, sources tell Shelburne and Stein, in large part due to the limited number of teams Anthony would be willing to join via trade. Anthony, who has two years and $53MM left on his contract after this season, recently conceded to Al Iannazzone of Newsday that he’d consider leaving New York under the right circumstances.

If the Clippers were to make a deal, Austin Rivers may need to be included, and head coach Doc Rivers told Rachel Nichols of ESPN that he’d be willing trade his son if need be. “If you think you can make your team better, you make your team better,” Rivers said. “That’s my job. Listen, I would trade anyone. You have to be willing to do that, so – and he would be one of them, and any of them would be one. But I don’t want to trade any of our guys. I like our team.”

Austin Rivers Could Go If Clippers Trade For Carmelo

January 26th, 2017 at 8:55pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Combo guard Austin Rivers has been discussed in trade talks between the Knicks and Clippers regarding Carmelo Anthony, an NBA executive told Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times.

The Clippers have emerged as a potential landing spot for Anthony but are apparently unwilling to part with any of their Big Three — Chris Paul, Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan — to facilitate a trade.

The Knicks are known to think very favorably of Rivers, according to Sam Amick of USA Today, as they made a push to sign him during free agency, Bill Oram of the Orange County Register notes.

The son of coach Doc Rivers is enjoying a career year and his production has jumped since he joined the starting lineup. Rivers is averaging 17.7 PPG, 3.9 APG and 2.8 RPG over the last 14 games. He signed a three-year contract this summer to rejoin the Clippers with a starting salary of $11MM.

That alone won’t be nearly enough to match up salaries, as Anthony is making $24.6MM this season. Jamal Crawford, who is making $13.25MM, has also had his name tossed into trade discussions, according to Turner. J.J. Redick, who is making $7.38MM, is another logical candidate in potential trade scenarios, Amick adds.

Of course, Anthony would have to waive his no-trade clause to make any deal come to fruition.

One unnamed GM believes it will happen, telling Sam Amico of AmicoHoops.net, “I’m betting he is playing next to Blake, Chris Paul and DeAndre right after (trade) deadline.” (Twitter link).

Clippers Notes: Griffin, Rivers, Paul, Mavericks

January 20th, 2017 at 1:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Clippers are hoping Blake Griffin will be able to play during their upcoming road trip, according to Dan Woike of The Orange County Register. The star forward has been sidelined since undergoing surgery in December to clear some “loose bodies” in his right knee. Griffin underwent stress tests on the knee Thursday and is expected to participate in some contact work today. The team is hoping he will be medically cleared for game action during the five-game trip, which extends through February 1st.

There’s more Clippers news out of Los Angeles:

Coach Doc Rivers suspected a problem with Griffin’s knee when he noticed the All-Star forward wasn’t getting past defenders as easily as he normally does. Rivers told Rowan Kavner of NBA.com that Griffin is starting to regain that ability again. “He looks great,” the coach said. “I don’t think the timeframe has changed. I know he feels wonderful. He looks like he’s explosive again.”
Rivers is planning to use several players to make up for the loss of Chris Paul, who will be out six to eight weeks following thumb surgery, Woike writes in a separate story. That means increased minutes for Raymond Felton, Jamal Crawford, J.J. Redick and possibly Austin Rivers. “It’s still next man up,” Doc Rivers said. “You take the top two players from any team, it makes it harder, but I don’t agree that it means that you struggle. You lose two guys, there’s nothing you can do about it. I think our guys have handled it well.”
The Mavericks have a surplus of point guards who might interest the Clippers, suggests Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News. Dallas could offer Deron Williams, who will be a free agent after this season, Devin Harris, who is signed for one more year at a little more than $4.4MM, or J.J. Barea, who has two seasons left at about $3.9MM and $3.7MM.

Clippers Notes: Crawford, Griffin, Jordan, Garnett

January 13th, 2017 at 9:30am CST by Dana Gauruder

Coach Doc Rivers and his Clippers teammates are encouraging sixth man Jamal Crawford to shoot his way out of his slump, Dan Woike of the Orange County Register reports. Over the last eight games, he’s averaging 9.0 points while shooting just 29% percent from the field and 19% from long range. But Rivers says he needs Crawford to be a scorer on the second unit. “Jamal’s so talented that he’ll start being a passer and setting people up because he doesn’t feel it,” Rivers told Woike. “And we need him to shoot.” Crawford indicated to Woike that the other players are thinking all the same lines. “All my teammates are saying, ‘Be more aggressive.’ Doc’s saying, ‘Stop thinking. Just play,’” Crawford said. “That definitely makes you more comfortable, having that support.”

In other news involving the team:

Blake Griffin could return to action later this month, according to an Associated Press report. Griffin was projected to miss 4-6 weeks after undergoing minor right knee surgery on December 20 and Rivers indicated that timetable still applies. Griffin, who can become a free agent after the season if he declines his $21.4MM option, has missed the last 13 games.
DeAndre Jordan‘s interior presence has allowed Rivers to successfully employ small-ball lineups in Griffin’s absence, Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times reports. The Clippers are holding opponents to 96.4 points a game, 40.4% shooting and 27.6 % on 3-point attempts during their current five-game winning streak. “It makes your job easier because you can really get into the ball, be aggressive and get up into guys because you know you have a big shot blocker back there,” guard Raymond Felton told DiGiovanna. “When a guy is as athletic as he is, when he can move laterally and backwards with a guard coming at him downhill, it only helps me to really get into the ball and be able to pick up 94 feet.”
Kevin Garnett, hired as a consultant this week, has begun working with Jordan and other Clippers big men, DiGiovanna writes in the same piece. “I don’t know if he has a defined role except to work with the bigs and to just give knowledge to whoever wants it about being a teammate, about winning,” Rivers said.

Clippers Rumors: Paul, Griffin, Trade Options

December 1st, 2016 at 12:19pm CST by Luke Adams

The Clippers expect Chris Paul to demand a full five-year, maximum salary contract when he becomes eligible for unrestricted free agency in 2017, league sources tell ESPN.com’s Zach Lowe. Paul has an option for the 2017/18 season, but given the rising salary cap, he’s expected to opt out – along with Blake Griffin – to secure a more lucrative deal.

The new Collective Bargaining Agreement could have an impact on what Paul’s next contract might look like, but under the current CBA, he’d be eligible for a starting salary of around $33.5MM, based on the current cap projections for next year. At that rate, a full maximum salary deal for five years would be worth in excess of $190MM. That would be a huge investment for the Clippers to make in a point guard who will be 32 next summer, and it remains to be seen how negotiations will play out between the two sides. But as Lowe observes, owner Steve Ballmer has indicated he’s willing to spend what it takes to keep the team together.

Here’s more from Lowe on the Clippers:

While Lowe doesn’t cite any sources when he discusses Griffin’s situation, he suggests that maxing out the star power forward would be a “no-brainer” for the Clippers next summer. As the ESPN scribe notes, Doc Rivers has no interest in engaging in a rebuild, and the franchise isn’t well-positioned for one, so expect L.A. to do everything it can to keep its core pieces and remain in contention.
The Clippers are almost out of trade assets, but they could conceivably package Jamal Crawford and a future first-round pick for an upgrade on the wing, says Lowe. Still, he notes that the team loves Crawford and quality wings “don’t come cheap.”
The Clippers currently have two future first-rounders committed to other teams in trades, but they have some flexibility to move another one, despite the Ted Stepien rule. As Lowe explains, the NBA quietly made a change its trade rules this past summer — teams are now allowed to simultaneously owe two separate first-round picks with “two years after” language attached, rather than just one. The Clips are currently set to send the Celtics a first-round pick two years after they send one to the Raptors, and could agree to trade another first-rounder that would change hands two years after that pick is sent to Boston.

Western Notes: Thompson, Rubio, Finney-Smith

November 7th, 2016 at 6:42pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Warriors shooting guard Klay Thompson denied a suggestion that his early season struggles were a result of the team’s offseason addition of Kevin Durant, Ethan Sherwood Strauss of ESPN.com relays. “Not at all,” Thompson said when asked if his cold spell had anything to do with Durant. “I struggled last year for the first 20 games, and Kevin wasn’t here. So it has nothing to do with Kevin. So last year I struggled, then I went on a tear, so it’s just like any other season. Obviously we have different players, but I’m still getting the shots I always got before he was here, so it’s not on Kevin at all.” Thompson, who made 42.5% of his three-point shots during the 2015/16 campaign, has shot only 19.6% from beyond the arc through the Warriors’ first six outings.

Here’s more from out West:

Ricky Rubio, who has missed the Wolves‘ last three contests due to a sprained right elbow, is making steady progress in his recovery, according to coach/executive Tom Thibodeau, Jerry Zgoda of The Star Tribune relays. No timetable has been relayed regarding when the point guard can return to action, Zgoda adds.
Spurs rookie Dejounte Murray credits much of his success and development to the influence of Clippers veteran Jamal Crawford, who has mentored the rookie for years, writes Rowan Kavner of NBA.com. “It means a lot,” Murray said of Crawford’s assistance. “When you’re successful, a professional athlete, you can help a lot of others. That’s one thing he did, is help me get to where I’m at today. I’m trying to have a long career like he has. He’s 36, he’s played a lot of years. He’s successful, and he’s still climbing in that top 100 scoring list. He’s a great dude.”
Mavericks rookie Dorian Finney-Smith has been pressed into action due to injuries on the team, but he is quickly earning the trust of the coaching staff with his strong play, Cody Taylor of Basketball Insiders writes. “Finney-Smith is a more-experienced player in the American game,” coach Rick Carlisle said after Tuesday night’s game. “He’s an excellent defender. We don’t normally do it, but he got the game ball tonight. He was plus-19 when he was on the floor and Milwaukee was only 0.56 points per possession when he was on the floor. Other guys are doing it too, but it’s not a coincidence that the game changed on some level when he was out there.”

Western Notes: Crawford, Ellis, Durant

July 13th, 2016 at 9:01pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Jamal Crawford wanted to remain with the Clippers all along, saying Los Angeles feels like home to him, Rowan Kavner of NBA.com relays. “I’ve said it the whole time, I wanted to come back here,” Crawford said. “My wife, we’ve been together 10 years now, but we’ve been in one place the longest here, so this is where she kind of knows from a team aspect. This is kind of like our home as well.” Crawford also noted that the unity throughout the team separated the Clippers from other places in the NBA – from the front office down to the locker room, which is another reason he re-signed with the club, Kavner relays. “That’s kind of unusual in this business,” Crawford said. “I’m not saying everything’s perfect or we don’t have our ups and downs or see things from different points of view; but overall, it’s a family.”

Here’s more from out West:

The Suns are closing in on hiring Ty Ellis as the head coach of their D-League affiliate, the Northern Arizona Suns, Marc Stein of ESPN.com relays (on Twitter). Ellis spent the 2015/16 campaign as an assistant on Phoenix’s D-League squad in Bakersfield.
Nuggets assistant coach Ed Pinckney is no longer with the team, having resigned from his post, and Wes Unseld has been promoted to lead assistant, Chris Dempsey of The Denver Post relays (on Twitter). A team source disputes that Pinckney resigned, Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv tweets, but that source did confirm that Pinckney was no longer with Denver.
Small forward Kevin Durant signed with the Warriors this offseason to compete for an NBA title, but he’ll likely see his off the court earnings increase as a result of the move, Sean Deveney of The Sporting News writes. “It’s a huge move for Kevin,” said Eric Schiffer, CEO of Patriarch Organization and the chairman of ReputationManagementConsultants.com. “It’s going to be amazing for him from a financial standpoint. I think he is going to give LeBron James a run for his money there once he gets into the Bay Area. It gives him an almost unfair advantage in terms of marketing. It gives advertisers and brands who want to align with greatness further reason to invest. It’s going to be an economic earthquake. He can really change things there.”

Jamal Crawford Re-Signs With Clippers

July 8th, 2016 at 7:12pm CST by Arthur Hill

Courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

JULY 8th, 7:12pm: The signing is official, the team announced.

JULY 3rd, 5:32pm: The Clippers will re-sign veteran guard Jamal Crawford for $42MM over three years, tweets Shams Charania of The Vertical.

Crawford had been reported as unhappy with L.A.’s initial offer and was considered a threat to leave, with at least five teams having interest. The Clippers’ first offer was $12M for one season, according to Brad Turner of The Los Angeles Times (Twitter link).

The 36-year-old Crawford is the reigning Sixth Man of the Year, an Award he has captured three times. He averaged 14.2 points per night in 79 games with the Clippers this season.

Crawford, who made $5.675MM during 2015/16, is the second Clippers guard to re-sign this weekend. Austin Rivers inked a three-year, $37.5MM deal on Saturday.