Jamal Crawford went through a tumultuous offseason to say the least, as he was constantly involved in trade rumors and it seemed like the Los Angeles Clippers were phasing him out. At one point it seemed as though Crawford was hoping for a trade as he was unsure if he was wanted by Doc Rivers and the organization, so there were questions if he would be distracted this season. So far Crawford is reportedly happy with his role, though, according to Ben Bolch of the Los Angeles Times.
After losing to the Houston Rockets in the playoffs in heartbreaking fashion last season, the Clippers knew they needed to improve their roster, specifically by bolstering their bench, and that is exactly what they did. The Clippers brought in Lance Stephenson (who is starting) Paul Pierce, Wesley Johnson and Josh Smith, so it seemed as though Crawford might be on his way out as he has an expiring contract and was entering his 16th NBA season.
So far this year, though, Crawford's role hasn't really changed, as he is still the Clippers' leading scorer off the bench, and he is still playing the majority of the crunch-time minutes along with the starters. Crawford's scoring numbers are down a little bit through five games, as he is averaging 11 points, but that is because he has a lot more talent around him and he hasn't shot the ball well to start the season (37 percent from the field, 19 percent from three.)
Crawford is in the final year of his four-year $21 million deal with the Clippers, so this is likely his last season with the team, but the good news is that he is unlikely to be traded this season and his role is relatively unchanged. Crawford's mind seems to be in the right place too, as he compared the Clippers to playing for Team USA because, "If you look on that team nobody cares about who's scoring, they just want to win, and that's kind of my thought process," said Crawford.
The Clippers are off to a nice 4-1 start with their lone loss being to the red-hot Golden State Warriors. The Crawford situation was one that many people had their eye on because it had a chance to derail a really talented team, but through five games it looks like Crawford's happiness is a non-story.
