Jamal Crawford Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Amico On Lakers, Clippers, Celtics, Magic

March 8th, 2012 at 7:52pm CST by Sean Highkin

Fox Sports Ohio's Sam Amico has posted a rundown of the trade-deadline needs of four teams: the Lakers, Clippers, Celtics, and Magic. Here are the highlights:

Amico believes the Lakers should surrender first-round draft picks for Ramon Sessions to address their point-guard issues, arguing that they will not likely find an equally-skilled player in the draft.
Kirk Hinrich would be the safest bet for the Clippers, with Ray Allen likely costing too much. Amico also mentions Jamal Crawford as a possibility.
Amico points to J.J. Hickson as a potential low-cost trade target who could benefit from being around Kevin Garnett.
Amico says the Magic should do everything in their power to convince Dwight Howard to stay, and trade him only if it becomes clear that is impossible.

Blazers Interested In Jose Calderon

March 8th, 2012 at 7:26pm CST by Sean Highkin

With point guard Raymond Felton underperforming, the Trail Blazers are looking to shore up their backcourt ahead of next week's trade deadline. And while their name has been in the mix for names such as Steve Nash, Rajon Rondo, Luke Ridnour, and Steve Blake, Hasan Alanam of Canada.com points to their reported interest in Raptors point guard Jose Calderon and explores several trade scenarios.

Alanam mentions possible trades involving Felton and either Gerald Wallace or Jamal Crawford, with Portland possibly also taking back Linas Klezia. In one scenario, the Timberwolves participate in a three-team deal with Malcolm Lee going to Portland and Anthony Randolph going to Toronto.

Calderon is making approximately $9.8MM this season and has one year left on his contract, which will pay him $10.5MM in 2012/13. He is averaging 10.7 PPG and 8.7 APG this season.

Jamal Crawford Rumors: Thursday

March 8th, 2012 at 4:32pm CST by Luke Adams

The Timberwolves and Trail Blazers may be discussing a deal involving Jamal Crawford and Luke Ridnour, while the Pacers also have some interest in Crawford, as we learned yesterday. This morning, we also heard that the T-Wolves appear to be the frontrunner for the Blazers shooting guard. We'll continue to track the latest updates on the Crawford sweepstakes here throughout the day, with the newest additions up top:

Ben Golliver of Blazer's Edge reports that the Pacers and Blazers have discussed Crawford, with Portland asking for A.J. Price and a first-round pick. A source tells Golliver that "the first team to give Portland a first round pick for Crawford will have him" (Twitter links).
The Blazers' asking price for Crawford includes a first-round pick in addition to either Ridnour for the Wolves or Eric Bledsoe for the Clippers, says Ken Berger of CBS Sports. That could pose a problem for the Clips, who have already traded both first-rounders they owned for 2012.
Timberwolves GM David Kahn is downplaying the team's interest in making a deadline deal, says Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com. Kahn says the Wolves are "not looking to address anything this season" and that he doesn't mind having three point guards in Ricky Rubio, J.J. Barea, and Ridnour. The GM did leave the door open slightly though, noting that there's still an "eternity" until next Thursday's deadline.
Asked if he was feeling affected by the trade rumors, Crawford told Haynes: "I wouldn't say me so much me, but the people around me for sure. Because decisions like that just don't affect you, they affect everybody."

Kyler’s Latest: Sessions, Crawford, Hornets, Bulls

March 8th, 2012 at 8:15am CST by Luke Adams

In today's NBA AM piece for HoopsWorld, Steve Kyler explores a few potential trade situations, providing the latest updates. Here's what he has for us:

The Cavaliers aren't seeking a significant return for Ramon Sessions. The club would prefer a draft pick and an open roster spot rather than a filler player.
While no deal is imminent, the Timberwolves' interest in Jamal Crawford is very real, and they appear to be the frontrunner. The Blazers are still talking to several teams about Crawford, however.
Mike Dunleavy, who is part of the group that is the favorite to buy the Hornets, feels like he could get Eric Gordon and Chris Kaman, two of his old players, signed to new deals in New Orleans.
The Bulls are talking to other teams, but appear to be surveying the landscape rather than actively trying to get any deals done.

Jamal Crawford Rumors: Wednesday

March 7th, 2012 at 1:34pm CST by Luke Adams

The Trail Blazers have slipped to tenth place in the Western Conference standings, and Jamal Crawford reportedly intends to opt out of his contract at season's end, so it's no surprise that the 31-year-old's name has popped up in recent trade rumors. The Clippers and Timberwolves are among the most interested teams, and the Bucks, Kings, and Raptors are also said to have kicked the tires. Here's the latest on Crawford:

In his latest ESPN.com chat, Chad Ford reports that he believes the Blazers and Timberwolves are talking about a swap involving Crawford and Luke Ridnour.
Ford also adds the Pacers to the list of teams interested in Crawford. Unlike the Clippers and T-Wolves, Indiana has the cap space necessary to acquire Crawford without having to send Portland any salary in return.

Kennedy On Clippers, Allen, Celtics, Crawford

March 6th, 2012 at 7:37pm CST by Zachary Links

Here's a look at some highlights from tonight's column from Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld..

Over the next week and a half, the Clippers will make a strong push to land a starting shooting guard, according to multiple sources close to the situation. Los Angeles has been in search of a two-guard ever since losing Chauncey Billups for the year. As of right now, Randy Foye and Travis Leslie are the only true shooting guards on the roster and the club has expressed interest in Ray Allen and Jamal Crawford, according to sources.
The Celtics aren’t actively shopping Allen but are listening to offers. It’s unclear what Boston would want in exchange for the 36-year-old, though many teams have expressed interest in him.
Sources say that Crawford will opt-out of the final year of his contract to test free agency this summer and the Trail Blazers may look to move him before the deadline. The Clippers are expressing interest along with the Timberwolves. The Clips tried to sign-and-trade for Crawford over the offseason, but the Hawks didn’t want to take back any contracts.
Other two-guards who could be on the move include the Grizzlies' O.J. Mayo, Courtney Lee of the Rockets, and Anthony Morrow of the Nets. If any of the three guards are made available, the Clippers can be expected to be in the mix. Recently, I broke down the case for New Jersey parting with Morrow.
Sources believe that the Magic will hold onto Dwight Howard past the trade deadline. There are members of the organization who remain optimistic that Howard will re-sign this summer if the right moves are made. The Magic will pursue players like Steve Nash and Monta Ellis before the deadline, but it'll be an uphill battle due to their lack of trade chips outside of Howard.

Kennedy On Crawford, Allen

March 5th, 2012 at 8:50pm CST by Michael Pina

Hoopsworld.com writer Alex Kennedy just sent a couple tweets out that some may find interesting. Here they are:

Minnesota is apparently making a strong push at acquiring Jamal Crawford. With the Trail Blazers beginning to slide out of the playoff picture, the shooting guard has had his name floated in several trade rumors in recent days. It'd be interesting to see what Portland would want from Minnesota. One financial match would be a straight up swap involving Michael Beasley, but apart from them saving about $4MM, not sure why Portland does that deal.
According to a league executive, Boston is not actively shopping Ray Allen, but they are fielding calls. One team that's reportedly shown interest in his services is the Clippers, but it remains to be seen whether they'd be willing to include Eric Bledsoe in the deal, and that's probably who the Celtics are holding out for.

Kyler On Thunder, Howard, Crawford, Young

March 5th, 2012 at 10:27am CST by Luke Adams

Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld wraps up his look at trade options for all 30 NBA clubs today, running alphabetically from Oklahoma City through Washington. You can find our recaps of the first two installments in the series here and here. Now, let's round up a few of the highlights from Kyler in part three….

The Thunder aren't actively engaged in any trade talks, but if they're concerned about Thabo Sefolosha's foot injury lingering, they could look into acquiring a defensive-minded replacement.
Sources close to the Dwight Howard process say the Magic are at least 50% sure they can keep D12 around for another season, if not longer. If that's the case, a blockbuster trade involving Howard is unlikely. Orlando is working hard to acquire pieces around its star center, though the team's lack of assets is making it a challenge.
Daniel Orton is "a safe bet" to be traded by the Magic.
While the 76ers have trade chips, they're unlikely to make a move before the deadline.
The Suns would gladly move Josh Childress, Hakim Warrick, or Robin Lopez.
Kyler hears from sources close to Jamal Crawford that the Blazers guard hasn't requested a trade, but that he wouldn't be opposed to being sent to a less chaotic situation.
The Spurs haven't had "meaningful discussions" with any potential trade partners, and will probably stand pat at the deadline.
The Raptors may be active in the next ten days, but Toronto continues to turn away proposals for Andrea Bargnani.
Although the Jazz have some strong trade assets, they probably would want to include Devin Harris in any deals, which could turn off potential suitors for other players.
Having accepted a qualifying offer from the Wizards this season, Nick Young can veto any deal that sends him out of town. However, Kyler hears that Young would welcome a move.

Crawford Drawing Interest From Several Teams

March 4th, 2012 at 8:02pm CST by Ryan Raroque

7:49pm Chris Haynes of Comcast SportsNet Northwest asserts that the Timberwolves and Clippers "are very interested" but can't confirm the other teams being mentioned. (Twitter link).

7:20pm Before the season started, then-free agent Jamal Crawford decided to sign with the Trail Blazers after fielding offers from several teams. With almost ten days before the NBA trade deadline, the 6'5 guard could find himself on the move again, reports Yannis Koutroupis of HoopsWorld.com. While the Timberwolves and the Clippers appear to be the most aggressive in attempting to trade for Crawford, the Bucks, Kings, and Raptors have also sent out their feelers.

The 12th-year veteran is averaging 14.8 PPG, shooting 36.2% from three-point range, and is third in the league in free throw percentage at 92.8%. Crawford possesses a player option for next season and can opt out of his contract this summer. With a recent report of uncertainty brewing within the Trail Blazers' locker room, there is a possibility that Portland deals Crawford for value before the deadline rather than risk losing him for nothing to upcoming free agency.

Blazers Notes: McMillan, Felton, Miller

March 4th, 2012 at 8:41am CST by Daniel Seco

After getting off to a strong start to the abbreviated season by winning seven of their first nine games, the Trail Blazers are on the outside of the playoff picture with 29 games remaining on the season. The team out of the Rose City has lost their first three games since returning from the All-Star break and will finish up a three-game homestand on Monday against the Hornets before hitting the road for a seven-game stretch. Let's take a look at what's happening inside the locker-room of this star-crossed squad.

John Canzano of The Oregonian fears Trail Blazers head coach Nate McMillan's time in Portland is up after a recent string of losses and a general lack of enthusiasm amongst his players. For some members of the Trail Blazers roster, making it through the remainder of the season and getting some vacation time is their only concern. Canzano writes that it's not for a lack of trying to motivate his players on McMillan's end, but they don't seem to be responding to his myriad efforts.
It may be time to start over given that the Trail Blazers have a losing record for the first time since 2008 and would miss the playoffs if the season ended today, writes Jason Quick of The Oregonian. Quick points to a possible Raymond Felton for Steve Blake trade given the Lakers need for a point guard and Blake's familiarity with McMillan's system. Such a move would also allow for Jamal Crawford to assume the shooting guard position rather than running the point where he is less comfortable.
Trail Blazers president Larry Miller spoke with Quick after the team's loss Saturday night to the Timberwolves and stated that he would look into making moves over the next 11 days prior to the trade deadline.