The Los Angeles Clippers have had quite the interesting offseason when you think about the DeAndre Jordan courtship on its own. But with all of that hoopla, it is easy to forget that they were once trying to trade Jamal Crawford also. At one point Crawford was rumored to be headed to Cleveland in a potential trade, but now it seems more likely that he is going to stay put. Crawford is heading into the final year of his contract and is unsure if he will be back for this season, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Crawford is set to make about $5.7 million this upcoming season, which is definitely manageable, but the Clippers couldn't find a worthy enough trade for the two-time Sixth Man of the Year. Crawford is a 15-year NBA veteran who has been a journeyman, having played with six different teams in his career. At 35 years old Crawford is still unsure if he will be a Clipper next season, although Doc Rivers made it seem like that isn't even a question.
"We like Jamal, Jamal does something that only several people do, Lou Williams, and a couple of more guys. Our job is to always improve our team, but we also respect and love what Jamal has done. The rumors about that is even crazy, but it is what it is, there's nothing we can do about it," said Rivers.
Crawford is one of three shooting guards on the Clippers that figures to get big minutes. J.J. Redick is the incumbent starter while Lance Stephenson was acquired in a trade and should see some time off the bench as well.
Although Crawford has been in the league for a while, he is still just as good at scoring as he always has been. For his career he averages 15.6 points per game and last season he averaged 15.8. His shooting percentages were a bit down last season but he had his second best scoring season per 36 minutes of his career in 2014-15.
Crawford is still an extremely effective NBA player as a sixth man that comes off the bench to provide scoring. He is not someone you can rely on defensively, but he never has been. It seems likely at this point that Crawford will play out the final year of his contract in Los Angeles, but after that it's anyone's guess. One thing is for certain with Crawford— he will be able to score with the best of them until he decides to call it a career.
