Jamal Crawford is in the final year of the four-year $21 million contract he signed with the Los Angeles Clippers back in 2012. Because this was going to be the final year of his deal, the Clippers were looking to find a trade partner for Crawford during the offseason but were unable to.
Some had even thought that Crawford would consider retirement after this season because he is 36 years old and in his 16th NBA season. Crawford, though, has been producing about as much as usual this season and still feels great, so he has no plans to retire anytime soon.
Not only did Crawford say that he wasn't going to retire after this season, but he added that he wants to play for five more seasons in the NBA. It is unclear if those hypothetical next five years will be with the Clippers, but Crawford will be able to find somewhere to play, as he can still score the ball with the best of them.
The Clippers were looking to trade Crawford this offseason because they thought that they were going to be extremely deep, particularly on the wings. They must be feeling quite fortunate that they didn't trade Crawford, though, because he has stepped up big time in Blake Griffin's absence, averaging 15.5 points per game.
Crawford has always been, and will always be, an inefficient scorer, as is evidenced by his 39 percent clip from the field this season. But he is so unique in that he can come off the bench and take over the offense in an instant, and you wouldn't even be able to tell that he's been playing in the league since 2000. Crawford is one of only two players drafted in 2000 that are still in the league, the other one being Mike Miller, but that won't stop him from lacing his shoes up for a few more years.
Crawford won't be everyone's cup of tea over the next few years considering he takes some bad shots, but he is definitely someone that can help as long he is still as spry as he currently is. Crawford is the rare type of player that has always been okay with coming off the bench and actually thrives in that role. He is the only player in NBA history to play in his 16th NBA season and have averages of less than 27 minutes but more than 13 points. Typically with 36-year-old NBA players with as much tread on their tires as he has, you wouldn't believe them when they say that they can play for five more seasons, but with Crawford, it definitely feels possible.
