40-year-old Nets guard Jamal Crawford hopes to return to the NBA for the 2020/21 season, per Marc Stein of the New York Times.
Crawford unfortunately logged just five minutes of action in one game for Brooklyn during the NBA’s Orlando restart due to a hamstring injury. If the three-time Sixth Man of the Year is able to play next season, it would be his 21st in the league.
A versatile backcourt scorer famous for his mean crossover, Crawford has played for nine NBA clubs, most notably as a key contributor off the bench for the Clippers and Hawks. He signed with the Nets as a substitute player for the Disney World summer restart after several Brooklyn players opted out due to injuries or the novel coronavirus.
Stein noted that Nets All-Star forward Kevin Durant recently intimated that he has interest in Crawford returning to the Nets during the 2020/21 season.
“With a whole, healthy roster,” Crawford said, “anyone would love that opportunity.”
The Nets will presumably have championship aspirations provided that Durant and fellow All-Star Kyrie Irving are fully recovered from injuries that derailed their 2019/20 seasons. Durant, recuperating from an Achilles tear, did not play at all this year.
Adding Crawford to at least Brooklyn’s training camp roster, perhaps on a partially-guaranteed veteran’s minimum contract, would be a nice low-cost way to bring veteran leadership with proven scoring acumen to the Nets bench.