Jordan Crawford Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Free Agent Stock Watch: Jordan Crawford

August 16th, 2014 at 4:11pm CST by Charlie Adams

The offseason is winding down, and most free agents capable of contributing on the hardwood have found homes by now. One player who’s been unable to secure a deal is the well-traveled Jordan Crawford. The 25-year-old out of Xavier has been a useful piece throughout his career, which has consisted of stops with the Hawks, Wizards, Celtics, and Warriors. Most teams’ rosters are looking pretty well-set as the regular season approaches, so Crawford’s options appear to be dwindling.

Crawford was shipped from Boston to Golden State last January as part of a three-team deal with Miami. Prior to the trade, Crawford was a big part of the Celtics offense, putting up nightly averages of 13.7 points and 5.7 assists while seeing 30.5 minutes per game. The combo guard has displayed good scoring instincts throughout his career, which his mark of 17.8 points per 36 minutes speaks to.

The strong start Crawford had in Boston had him looking like a potential candidate for the Most Improved Player Award, but his 2013/14 campaign took a dramatic shift post-trade. After being dealt to the W’s, Crawford saw his minutes drop to an average of just 15.7 per night, as he was not a major part of Golden State’s rotation. At season’s end, backcourt peers Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Steve Blake all played more minutes per contest than Crawford, who was never able to find regular playing time on his new club in spite of a strong start to the year with Boston. To no surprise, the financially limited and guard-stocked Warriors chose not to extend Crawford his $3,206,867 qualifying offer, making him an unrestricted free agent. The four-year veteran is still without a team midway through August.

Several squads were said to have interest in the former first-rounder, with the Bulls, Mavericks, Lakers, Knicks, and Nets all being mentioned as possible suitors. Since more than a couple of those teams have now supplemented their backcourts with other players, a question arises: why hasn’t Crawford found a team? It’s possible that the Creative Artists Agency client is holding out for more than the minimum salary, which is the most any of those clubs could offer him, as Hoops Rumors details. However, his lack of playing time in Golden State might have hindered his chances at drawing anything above that sum, so he might need to settle on such an amount.

It wouldn’t be shocking to see him on the Bulls next year, given their apparent dedication to bolstering their scoring. The Lakers would make sense too, given their dearth of backcourt depth and concerns regarding Kobe Bryant‘s health. The Mavericks, Knicks, and Nets all have rosters that currently boast at least 15 players so they seem like a less logical destination. There’s still time between now and the beginning of the regular season, and teams are capable of shuffling their roster, so really a move to any of the aforementioned teams wouldn’t be out of the realm of feasibility.

I’d be surprised if Crawford isn’t on an NBA by roster by the beginning of the season, as he’s proven throughout his career he can pack a scoring punch off of the bench. He’s lacked efficiency at times, taking too many shots, but his strong, albeit short campaign as a Celtic demonstrated he’s a player with the ability to contribute in a meaningful way. If he’s truly holding out for more than the minimum, and no team offers him an amount greater than that, he’ll have little choice but to simply take what he’s offered.

And-Ones: Crawford, Hayward, 76ers

July 8th, 2014 at 10:11pm CST by Ryan Raroque

With a logjam at the guard spots and limited payroll flexibility, the Warriors are willing to help Jordan Crawford find his next team with a sign-and-trade deal, a source tells Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports. The source added that the former Xavier guard has drawn interest from the Bulls, Mavericks, Lakers, Knicks, and Nets (Twitter links).

You can find more of tonight’s miscellaneous news and notes below:

The Hornets were pleased with their meeting with Gordon Hayward today, but the Jazz maintain that they’ll match any offer sheet for the 24-year-old forward, tweets NBA.com’s David Aldridge.
76ers GM Sam Hinkie said that he’s involved in plenty of conversations, but not as many as the media has been reporting, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Hinkie doesn’t think the addition of a high-profile guard will hurt Michael Carter-Williams‘ confidence, adding that the 2013/14 Rookie of the Year is the team’s point guard of the future.
Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh will not be in attendance during LeBron James‘ meeting with Pat Riley tomorrow, a source tells Zac Jackson of FOX Sports Ohio.
ESPN’s Marc Stein says he’s been strongly advised to dismiss rumblings that Nike has purchased billboards in Cleveland in anticipation for LeBron’s eventual free agency decision; however, It doesn’t mean that LeBron has ruled out a return to the Cavaliers either (Twitter links).
Former Jazz head coach Tyrone Corbin will join the Kings as an assistant coach, a source tells Aaron Falk of the Salt Lake Tribune. A week ago, we relayed that Corbin was set to interview for a spot on Michael Malone’s coaching staff.
Nik Stauskas is slated to sign his rookie deal with Sacramento today, tweets Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee.
Timberwolves president/head coach Flip Saunders admits that he should have sent Chase Budinger to the D-League last season for a rehab assignment last season, noting that the swingman’s return from knee surgery has been a tough transition (Twitter link via Nate Sandell of 1500 ESPN).
The Knicks added Joshua Longstaff and Rasheed Hazzard to Derek Fisher‘s coaching staff, notes Jonah Ballow of NYKnicks.com. Longstaff was previously a Thunder assistant, while Hazzard formerly worked for the Lakers.
Former Oakland star Travis Bader signed a deal with ASVEL in France but would be allowed to opt out of his contract if he can make an NBA roster, writes Brian Calloway of the Detroit Free Press.

Players Who Can Earn Higher Qualifying Offers

March 21st, 2014 at 4:32pm CST by Chuck Myron

The stretch run of the season matters a lot to members of this summer’s free agent class. But the effect of what happens between now and the end of the regular season will perhaps be more well-defined for Trevor Booker, Brian Roberts and Jordan Crawford than anyone else. That’s because all three have a chance to trigger the league’s starter criteria and boost the value of their qualifying offers.

Teams must extend qualifying offers to their restricted free agents to reserve the right to match offers that other teams might make. Without a qualifying offer, a restricted free agent becomes an unrestricted free agent. For most players, the amounts of their qualifying offers are set in stone, and they’re usually determined by draft position. Whether or not the starter criteria come into play depends on whether or not a player logs at least 2,000 minutes or 41 starts during the season prior to his free agency, or hits those benchmarks over the average of the final two seasons before he becomes a free agent. Here’s what’s at stake:

A top-14 pick who does not meet the starter criteria will receive the same qualifying offer equal to 120% of the amount applicable to the 15th overall pick.
A player picked between 10th and 30th who meets the starter criteria will receive a qualifying offer equal to 120% of the amount applicable to the ninth overall pick.
A second-round pick or undrafted player who meets the criteria will receive a qualifying offer equal to 100% of the amount applicable to the 21st overall pick.

These four players have already triggered higher qualifying offers for this summer:

Avery Bradley, Celtics ($4,677,708) — would have been $3,581,302
Greivis Vasquez, Raptors ($4,677,708) — would have been $3,203,780
Isaiah Thomas, Kings ($2,875,131) — would have been $1,148,163
P.J. Tucker, Suns ($2,875,131) — would have been $1,148,163

Conversely, three will likely see their qualifying offers reduced:

Ekpe Udoh, Bucks ($4,268,609) — would have been $5,962,377
Ed Davis, Grizzlies ($4,268,609) — would have been $4,361,788
Patrick Patterson, Raptors ($4,268,609) — would have been $4,319,474

Booker, Roberts and Crawford are toss-ups, as we explain here:

Trevor Booker, Wizards — This appears to be the most intriguing case. Booker could be in line for a higher qualifying injury because of Nene‘s injury. Booker has been starting in his place, and if he makes 10 more starts over Washington’s final 14 games, his qualifying offer increases from $3,420,443 to $4,677,708. Nene is already in the middle of his original four-to-six week timetable for a return, so if he comes back anytime soon, Booker will end up with the lower qualifying offer.
Brian Roberts, Pelicans — An injury also affected Roberts’ case. He became the starter at point guard when Jrue Holiday went down with injury in January, and with Holiday lost for the season, it looks like Roberts will make the 41 starts needed to raise his qualifying offer from $1,115,243 to $2,875,131. He’s seven starts shy, and the Pelicans have 15 games left.
Jordan Crawford, Warriors — He’d have to average 28.5 minutes over the last 12 games for the Warriors, or start half of those contests. Both are long shots, but if he accomplishes either, his qualifying offer would escalate from $3,206,867 to $4,677,708.

Basketball Insiders and ShamSports were used in the creation of this post.

Atlantic Rumors: Carmelo, Crawford, Gay

March 6th, 2014 at 10:54am CST by Chuck Myron

Joakim Noah attempted to sell Carmelo Anthony on the idea of joining the Bulls this summer when the two spoke at the All-Star break, according to ESPN’s Chris Broussard. The Knicks star was non-committal, though he expressed admiration for the way Chicago plays, Broussard notes, adding that the conversation began with Anthony asking Noah what it’s like to play for Tom Thibodeau (All four Twitter links). Broussard also hears that Derrick Rose, who’s notorious for refusing to recruit other players to the Bulls, would love Anthony to join Chicago and would reach out to him if the team asked him to (Twitter link). I touched on the possibility of the No. 2 player on the Hoops Rumors 2014 Free Agent Power Rankings joining the Bulls when I examined Anthony’s free agent stock Wednesday. Here’s more on Anthony’s current team as we check the latest from the Atlantic Division:

The Knicks have been linked to 2015 free agent Kevin Love on numerous occasions, but if Anthony re-signs, Love’s poor defense and an offensive game that’s too similar to Anthony’s would make him a poor fit, opines Chris Herring of the Wall Street Journal.
Soon-to-be free agent Jordan Crawford has fond memories of his time with the Celtics, who traded him to the Warriors in January, and he greeted Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge warmly before Golden State’s game in Boston on Wednesday. Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald has the details.
Rudy Gay will hear plenty of boos when he returns to Toronto with the Kings on Friday, but Raptors ownership deserves blame for setting up the compromising situation that led to Gay’s acquisition last year, argues Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun.

Warriors Shop Jordan Crawford

February 20th, 2014 at 1:23pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Warriors are dangling Jordan Crawford in trade talks, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. Golden State acquired Steve Blake on Wednesday, lessening the need for the converted point guard the Warriors received via trade from Boston earlier this season.

Crawford, of course, was already traded in this calendar year when he went from the Celtics to the Warriors along with MarShon Brooks. With Brooks shipped to the Lakers yesterday, the W’s could be on the verge of shipping out their entire return from that swap just weeks after pulling the trigger.

Crawford, 25, pretty much saw his minutes cut in half when he moved from Boston to Oakland. In 14 games with the Warriors this season, Crawford has averaged 6.6 PPG and 2.2 APG in 16.5 minutes per contest. That’s less playing time than he’s seen in any of his NBA seasons to date.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Celtics Rumors: Rondo, Bayless, Crawford

January 24th, 2014 at 11:00am CST by Chuck Myron

Celtics GM Danny Ainge denied earlier this season that any team had so much as inquired about Rajon Rondo‘s availability via trade, and while that seemed a little far-fetched, he isn’t changing his story much.

“I actually did have a team call me and say, ‘Hey, would you have any interest in trading Rondo?’ Before he even offered me a package,” Ainge said to Baxter Holmes of the Boston Globe. “And I said no. And that’s it. That’s as long as the conversation happened.”

There’s plenty more from Ainge amid our look at the latest on the Celtics:

The Celtics boss also tells Holmes that the trade rumors about Rondo have emanated from outside the organization. “It’s just people, like I think recently, somebody, one of the national media guys, made a comment like, ‘Oh, I was talking with some NBA people on the road and they all think Danny is going to trade Rondo,'” Ainge said. “Well, it’s not like there’s a source. It’s just people that have their own opinion, sitting around, having a Diet Coke, talking about what I’m going to do with Rondo. Which is fine.”
Ainge says he’s hesitant to build around a single player, whether it’s Rondo or anyone else. “Nobody is ‘the future of the franchise,'” Ainge said to Holmes. “A franchise is bigger than any one individual. But we love him. That’s what [the extension offer] explains.”
Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com examines what Rondo could make on an extension if he signed one now, and compares it to the more lucrative alternatives of signing an extension this summer or waiting to ink a deal as a free agent in 2015.
Jerryd Bayless shares his impressions of the Celtics since coming to Boston via trade earlier this month and reiterates his desire to remain with the team long-term in a blog post on his personal website (hat tip to Forsberg).
Ainge let Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald know that part of the motivation to trade Jordan Crawford was to open up more playing time for Phil Pressey. Still, Ainge says he remains high on Crawford and MarShon Brooks, who also departed in that deal, and Ainge added that he’ll keep an eye on both when they hit free agency this summer.
The Celtics have six extra draft picks between this year and 2018, and that’s a reflection of a long-held philosophy that Ainge explains to Bulpett. “I’ve always believed that you build through the draft,” he said. “And whether those drafted players are Al Jefferson, who you love, and Delonte West, who we developed and loved, and then move them for Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen — or whether those draft picks turn into Rajon Rondo or Paul Pierce and they’re with you forever.”

Atlantic Rumors: Nets, Celtics, J.R. Smith

January 16th, 2014 at 3:22pm CST by Chuck Myron

Mikhail Prokhorov, in London for today’s Nets-Hawks game, said that he was never close to making changes when the Nets were playing their worst this season, and the owner also expressed confidence in GM Billy King and coach Jason Kidd. Prokhorov added that he has no intention of selling the team anytime soon. Newsday’s Roderick Boone and Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News round up his comments via Twitter, and there’s more from Nets ownership suite among the day’s news from the Atlantic Division:

Gerald Wallace is upset with his role on the Celtics, and also feels the Nets “disrespected” him by trading him to a rebuilding club, observes Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald. “This season is a slap in the face, having to change my game and fine-tune it,” Wallace said. “First of all, it has to come mentally. You accept your situation, but there’s two sides to your brain. One side is fighting the other side because of the predicament you’re in. You feel you can still perform at the level you always have, but at the same time, you’re doubting yourself.”
One of Prokhorov’s advisers seems to have overtaken the role of another, with Sergei Kushchenko now exerting more influence on the Nets than Dmitry Razumov has, as Tim Bontemps of the New York Post explains.
There was no chance the Celtics were going to keep soon-to-be restricted free agent Jordan Crawford beyond the season, writes Herald scribe Steve Bulpett, who sees Wednesday’s trade of Crawford and MarShon Brooks as a move made with only the future in mind.
An Eastern Conference personnel man tells Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News that if Knicks GM Steve Mills finds a taker for J.R. Smith, “he’ll be pulling a fast one” on whatever team ends up with the swingman.
Ian O’Connor of ESPNNewYork.com wonders if Mike Woodson‘s public support for Smith has to do with their mutual ties to the Creative Artists Agency. The Knicks would be better off waiving Smith this summer and using the stretch provision to spread out his remaining cap hits, O’Connor believes.

Warriors Acquire Crawford In Swap With C’s, Heat

January 16th, 2014 at 10:12am CST by Chuck Myron

THURSDAY, 10:12am: The Heat is the team sending cash to the Celtics, reports Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com, who notes that the amount is $1MM.

WEDNESDAY, 3:17pm: The Warriors and Celtics have hooked up on a three-team trade with the Heat that sends Jordan Crawford and MarShon Brooks to the W’s, as the teams confirmed via press release. The Warriors send Toney Douglas to Miami, which deals Joel Anthony, a first-round pick, and its 2016 second-round pick to the Celtics. Boston also receives cash in the deal, though it’s not immediately clear from whom.

The Warriors have been looking for an upgrade behind point guard Stephen Curry, and it appears they envision putting Crawford in that role. The 25-year-old has performed well in stretches as he’s manned the point for Boston in the absence of Rajon Rondo, but with Rondo set to return, it appears the Celtics found him expendable. Veteran NBA reporter Peter Vecsey tweeted overnight that Boston was close to dealing Crawford, and listed the Warriors as one of the teams with interest.

The Heat likely save $7.7MM in salary and tax penalties for this season in unloading Joel Anthony‘s deal, notes Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com (on Twitter), with Anthony slated to make $3.8MM this season. His contract also includes a player option for the same amount next season. The first-round pick they’re sending the the Celtics is the Sixers’ lottery protected first-rounder this year, but if Philadelphia doesn’t make the playoffs this season or next, the Celtics get the Sixers 2015 and 2016 second-round picks instead, as Wojnarowski points out (Twitter link). Miami had been looking to bolster its backcourt last month when Windhorst reported that they were shopping Anthony.

The Warriors add money in the deal, but they avoid the luxury tax and don’t have to relinquish a first-round pick or one of their core pieces, as Zach Lowe of Grantland speculated yesterday that they might have to do. Crawford doesn’t carry the cachet of other guards the Warriors have pursued, like Kyle Lowry, Andre Miller and Kirk Hinrich, but he comes relatively cheaply. He’ll be a restricted free agent at season’s end. The Warriors will likely use part of the $4MM trade exception they got for Brandon Rush this summer to make the deal work.

The Celtics also slightly up their payroll, though they also continue to stockpile draft picks. The deal sets Boston up with a half dozen extra draft picks between now and 2018. Perhaps most profound from Boston’s side of the transaction is the decline in value of Brooks, the 25th overall pick in 2011. He played well as a rookie with the Nets, but was a throw-in as part of the Kevin Garnett/Paul Pierce blockbuster this summer and appears to be an afterthought in this deal, as well.

Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports first reported the deal (All Twitter links). Marcus Thompson of the Bay Area News Group and Grantland’s Zach Lowe also tweeted details.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Fallout From Warriors/Celtics/Heat Trade

January 15th, 2014 at 4:44pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Heat made initial inquiries about Kyle Lowry prior to today’s three-team trade with the Celtics and Warriors, but those talks with the Raptors went nowhere, Grantand’s Zach Lowe reports. Lowe predicts the Heat will cut either the newly acquired Toney Douglas or Roger Mason Jr. to open a roster spot for Andrew Bynum. Regardless, the trade is a “no-brainer” for Miami, Lowe believes. We’ve roundup up more news and reaction in the wake of today’s deal below:

Even if the protected first-rounder the Celtics acquired turns into a pair of second-round picks after next season, the trade still provides Boston with a “small bounty,” Lowe writes in the same piece, as teams around the league are valuing second-rounders more highly.
The departure of Joel Anthony prompts Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel to wonder if Udonis Haslem might be the next to go as the Heat continue to pursue a strategy of freeing money to keep their three stars and supplementing them with bargains.
The Warriors are still “thrilled” to have essentially passed on Jarrett Jack in favor of Andre Iguodala this summer, even though Douglas proved ineffective as a replacement at backup point guard, forcing today’s move, notes Sam Amick of USA Today.
Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com figures the depature of Crawford, who was developing into a serviceable point guard, strengthens the chances that the Celtics will keep Rajon Rondo long-term (Twitter link).
Today’s trade means the Heat have cut their projected luxury tax bill by more than 50% since the start of July, as Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com explains (Twitter links).
The Timberwolves weren’t among the teams interested in Jordan Crawford, tweets Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities (Twitter link).
Crawford played point guard for the Celtics, but he’s otherwise been a shoot-first gunner, and Marcus Thompson of the Bay Area News Group believes he’ll benefit the Warriors most as a pure scorer.

Jordan Crawford Wants To Remain With Celtics

January 2nd, 2014 at 11:17pm CST by Chuck Myron

Jordan Crawford has become a candidate for the Most Improved Player of the Year award in his new role as point guard, and while he’s driving up his value as a restricted free agent this summer, he tells USA Today’s Sean Highkin that he’d like to stay with the Celtics.

“It’s an NBA thing,” Crawford said. “You’re supposed to think about being a free agent. It’s going to happen, so there’s nothing I can do to deny it. I definitely want to be here. But it’s the NBA. You never know what’s going to happen.”

Crawford has transformed from a reckless gunner into a playmaker this season, averaging a career-high 5.4 assists in place of the injured Rajon Rondo. It’s unclear what the Celtics plan to do with him once Rondo returns, but it’s clear that Crawford’s stock has risen since Boston acquired him at the deadline last season for Leandro Barbosa and Jason Collins, two players who are out of the league. The Celtics can match any team’s offer for the Creative Artists Agency client in the offseason if they extend him a qualifying offer of about $3.2MM. They could also simply sign him outright, which appears to be Crawford’s preference at this point.

The Hawks made Crawford the 27th overall pick in the 2010 draft and traded him to the Wizards in the middle of his rookie year. He averaged 14.7 points per game in his first full season in Washington, but he did so on just 40% shooting, and he shot 4.3 three-pointers per contest despite making only 28.9% of them. He still shoots threes at about the same rate, but his long-range accuracy has improved to 34.4% for this season.