Getty Jamal Crawford
Free agency has certainly erupted as soon as the clock hit 6:00 PM EST Sunday evening.
Most big names are gone and even many key role players have signed away their fates this offseason.
One player who has not landed on a team yet is Jamal Crawford.
.@JCrossover needs a team!
I’ve heard Sixers, Thunder, Nets, Lakers, Heat have interest.
Many teams are showing interest in the veteran shooting guard.
There are teams with interest: Miami Heat, Los Angeles Lakers, Oklahoma City Thunder, Philaelphia 76ers and Brooklyn Nets.
Crawford and the Sixers have had mutual interests for a while.
Philadelphia has Al Horford as a great veteran presence now, but their back-court after losing Jimmy Butler and JJ Redick mostly consists of young players. Matisse Thybulle, Zhaire Smith, Josh Richardson, and Marial Shayok could all use someone like Jamal Crawford.
“I would be honored to play there,” Jamal Crawford told me last summer on the Scoop B Radio Podcast.
“But things obviously have to take its course and I kind of got to sit back, but who wouldn’t want to play there?”
“From a leadership standpoint, having that vet who’s been through those wars and challenges, somebody who can get a shot when the play breaks down, especially in the playoffs. And where Philadelphia is going to get judged, ultimately, is their playoff success. They’re becoming one of those teams.”
Crawford is also a fan of Ben Simmons.
“You can tell, watching him play, he doesn’t play with an agenda,” he told Scoop B Radio.
Meanwhile back at the ranch: The Lakers are also a very interesting intrigue.
Belief of Kawhi to Los Angeles Lakers is strong.
When I asked a league source this afternoon, how strong?
They replied: “Heavy.”
Source isn’t locking it in yet, but calling it: “Likely.”
While both the Lakers and Kawhi Leonard are figuring out what they will ultimately do in the coming days, the Lakers still need solid role players to fill out their roster.
The Lakers signed former Brooklyn Nets forward, Jared Dudley on Tuesday. Carmelo Anthony and J.R. Smith are also on LA’s radar.
Crawford is believed to be also. Rightly so! He can shoot the rock!
Last year, Crawford shot just around 33% from three point range. He averaged 3.6 assists per game which was his highest mark since 10 years ago when he was the lead man for the Knicks.
At 39, Crawford can still truly help an NBA team. That impact will significantly be seen off the court where he can be a mentor for a team with young guards. The Sixers, Nets and Lakers seem like the ones who have the biggest need for that veteran presence.
We still don’t know what the Lakers will decide to do given that Kawhi’s decision is still up in the air, but either way they could use someone like Crawford. Given that they also just landed Troy Daniels, that isn’t as realistic if Kawhi does come.
We’ll see where Crawford decides to go, but there is definitely interest out there in the marketplace.