Amidst all the Carmelo Anthony rumors, there seems to be one very realistic option for the Cleveland Cavaliers during free agency – Jamal Crawford. In a three-team sign-and-trade between the Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Clippers, and Atlanta Hawks, Paul Millsap was sent to Denver on a three-year, $90 million deal, Danilo Gallinari was sent to Los Angeles on a three-year, $65 million deal, and Crawford, Diamond Stone, a 2018 first-round draft pick via Houston, and cash considerations were sent to Atlanta.
Cavaliers pursuing Jamal Crawford
The mega deal between the three teams put Crawford in a rebuilding situation he wants no part of.
Instead, he would like for the Hawks to trade him or buyout his contract so he can become an unrestricted free agent. If a buyout occurs, the Cavaliers, who have been looking to shore up their bench, would be very interested.
In fact, recent reports show that Crawford is favoring a move to Cleveland. According to Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com, Jamal Crawford spoke with LeBron and is "very interested" in joining the Cavs once he's a free agent.
That being said, the Cavaliers may have to battle multiple teams for Crawford. The Golden State Warriors were reported to be frontrunners for the two-time Sixth Man of the Year, but that was before they signed Omri Casspi and Nick Young. Also, the Los Angeles Lakers showed strong interest in the 37-year-old veteran, and it was reported that Crawford would love to play alongside Lonzo Ball, but the interest from both sides is dying, according to Marc J.
Spears of ESPN.
There are multiple other teams also showing interest in Crawford as well. The San Antonio Spurs are one of those teams, who would like to replace Manu Ginobili in case he retires. The Washington Wizards and Minnesota Timberwolves have also emerged as potential suitors for the 17-year veteran.
The Timberwolves have had an eventful offseason, putting together a strong playoff-contending team by joining Jimmy Butler, Jeff Teague, and Taj Gibson with Andrew Wiggins and Karl-Anthony Towns.
Adding Crawford would be huge for their bench, which still needs some work. The Wizards, meanwhile, have been seeking for more offensive firepower off their bench. Brandon Jennings and Bojan Bogdanovic were failed projects last season, but Crawford is a top-notch scorer and would help tremendously.
How would Crawford help the Cleveland Cavaliers?
For Cleveland, Crawford would be instant offense off the bench, something they’ve never really had. Cleveland’s bench was essentially a non-factor during the NBA Finals. Every time James would sit down for a breather, teams would pounce on the Cavs. Having a player who can create for himself and others from the bench would ease a lot of pressure off James and Kyrie Irving.
Although he is slowly descending, Crawford managed to put up averages of 12.3 points and 2.6 assists per game on 36 percent shooting from three-point distance. He has averaged 15.3 points and 3.5 assists throughout his career.
