NBA Rumors: Buzz Surrounding Jamal Crawford, Taj Gibson Trade and More
Of all the key dates on the NBA calendar, few are as exciting as July 1. That's when teams can officially begin negotiating with free agents, and fans everywhere can see all the rumors and hype generated in the preceding months start to come to concrete resolutions.
There will be no shortage of chatter both before and after the calendar turns to July, especially if the situations of some of the bigger players and teams aren't resolved early.
Here's a look at some of the latest NBA talk to come down the pike.
Jamal Crawford Reportedly Drawing Plenty of Interest
Jamal Crawford is a free agent this summer, and the rainbow-shooting swingman is reportedly drawing interest from several teams looking to add him to the mix, per Dan Woike of the Orange County Register:
"Crawford, who does have a meeting scheduled with the Clippers, is also drawing interest from a number of teams in search of a scoring guard. Crawford is expected to receive interest from the New York Knicks, the Miami Heat, the Toronto Raptors, the Dallas Mavericks, the Orlando Magic and the Brooklyn Nets in addition to the Clippers.
"
Crawford may be 36, but he's shown remarkable consistency over the years. In his four seasons with the Clippers, he's averaged 16.2 points and 2.6 assists per game while shooting 35.2 percent from three.
The majority of his contributions—not just with the Clippers, but for most of his career—have come off the bench, earning him three Sixth Man of the Year awards, two of them coming in the last three seasons.
As he ages, it's a role he's well-suited to continue, dropping in with the second unit and putting pressure on teams with his outside shooting stroke and deft handles. While multiple NBA teams are sure to duke it out for his signature, the Clippers may still have the best chance at signing him to another contract.
“I definitely have to keep an open mind and see what’s out there,” Crawford told Woike. “That’s why you’re in this position. My preference, like I’ve said from the get-go, is to go back to the Clippers. But, I’m definitely very, very open-minded about the whole free-agency process.”
One can imagine Crawford fitting in with just about any team in the league, so it may very well come down to money for him. Of the non-Clipper teams mentioned by Woike, the New York Knicks might have a slight advantage over the rest. Crawford spent four-plus seasons with them in the prime of his career, they've already made a splash by trading for Derrick Rose and are clearly looking to add more firepower.
One team that could offer up more cash than the others is Dallas, who have seen Dirk Nowitzki, Chandler Parsons and Deron Williams all opt for free agency. Nowitzki is likely to stay, but doesn't want to be part of a rebuild. Going after Crawford would be a sign of the franchise's commitment to stay relevant.
Taj Gibson Rumors Signal Rebuild in Chicago
Speaking of staying relevant, the Chicago Bulls could have a difficult time doing just that with the team in all likelihood set for a long rebuild. In addition to the Rose trade, the Bulls could see Joakim Noah and Pau Gasol depart in free agency. Jimmy Butler was also the subject of trade rumors around draft time.
There could be another deal on the way, as the Chicago Sun-Times' Joe Cowley reported Sunday that 31-year-old power forward Taj Gibson may be on his way out of the Windy City soon:
"To add some further clouds to the Bulls frontcourt rotation, a league source said that the Bulls have been talking to several teams about the possibility of moving Taj Gibson. The power forward is in the final year of his contract, scheduled to make $8.9 million.
If they do in fact send Gibson elsewhere, that would leave a frontcourt of Robin Lopez, Nikola Mirotic, Bobby Portis and Cristiano Felicio, and some serious money to spend.
"
Trading Gibson makes loads of sense, especially if the Bulls want to clear some cap space and take a run at at younger frontcourt free agents. Gibson has one year and $8.9 million remaining on his contract, per Spotrac. Cowley mentioned Jared Sullinger, Ryan Anderson and Terrence Jones as players the Bulls could pursue this summer.
At the very least, trading Gibson could open up more minutes for younger players already on the roster. He's too old and marginally too expensive to keep around for a rebuilding franchise. Gibson's scoring production dropped off last season, down to 8.6 points per game. He did manage to keep pace defensively, picking up 6.9 boards and 1.1 blocks per contest.
If the Bulls do end up moving Gibson soon, it's a sign that the next couple of years might not be pretty as head coach Fred Hoiberg looks to lead the team into a post-Rose era.
Ryan Anderson an Option with Wizards' Durant Dreams Likely Dashed
LeBron James has proved that a major homecoming (even if it's on a second go-around with the team) can indeed end with championship glory. Could Kevin Durant, who was born in Washington D.C., look to achieve the same kind of success with the Washington Wizards?
Not likely, if the latest rumors prove accurate. Durant has reportedly lined up meetings with six teams: the Boston Celtics, Miami Heat, Golden State Warriors, San Antonio Spurs, Oklahoma City Thunder and Clippers, per ESPN.com, citing sources from Chris Broussard and previous reports.
The Wizards are notably absent from that short list, and CSN Mid-Atlantic's J. Michael reported on Monday, per sources, that "the idea of returning home just 'doesn't resonate' with the NBA's hottest unrestricted free agent."
It's clear that Durant has a championship on his mind, as all six of those teams are better poised for immediate success than the Wizards, who went 41-41 last season. With Durant not even looking Washington's way, the team is reportedly focusing on other players, such as forward Ryan Anderson, per another report from Michael:
"Now that Kevin Durant has dropped from the wish list for the Wizards with free agency set to open at the end of the week, Ryan Anderson is their next priority, multiple league sources tell CSNmidatlantic.com on Monday, and they'll make an aggressive move in hopes of securing the three-point shooting forward.
Anderson, a 6-10 free agent from the New Orleans Pelicans, averaged 17 points and six rebounds in 66 appearances last season. He shot 36.6% from three-point range and is the type of stretch option that could work better than Jared Dudley and Kris Humphries did in a disastrous 41-41 season.
"
Anderson certainly isn't a franchise-altering talent in the way that Durant is, but he at least fits a similar role offensively. He's a long, lean outside shooter (37.7 percent from beyond the arc in his career) capable of exploiting mismatches on the outside and creating space for the likes of John Wall and Bradley Beal to cook.
However, his inability to finish inside and lackluster defense means he isn't the most well-rounded stretch forward. Bullets Forever's Michael D. Sykes II thinks he might not be worth a whole lot of money:
"Whether Anderson is worth a look depends on what price you're willing to pay for him. Both Bismack Biyombo and Marvin Williams are expected to get, at least, around $15 million per year this offseason. So we'll start in that ballpark for Anderson.
At that price, I'd take a pass on Anderson. For that money, even with the inflated salary cap, you want a player who can be a solid starter for you and fill roles on both ends. Anderson likely isn't starting over Morris because of his inability to defend and his offensive game isn't versatile enough to warrant that type of pay.
Sure, he helps with his shooting. But the prototypical stretch four isn't just someone who can shoot threes. Morris is a much better option because of his ability to put the ball on the floor, play inside, defend and move the ball. Anderson can't do any of those things on the same level.
"
According to Michael, Anderson "likely won't make a decision until Durant makes his on whether or not to leave the Oklahoma City Thunder," so Wizards fans will have to be patient.
Once Durant makes his decision, Anderson could drive up a bidding war between all the teams that missed out on the special talent but still want someone fitting a similar profile.
