NBA Rumors: Latest Trade Buzz on Jamal Crawford, Nick Young and More

Let’s forget about Gordon Hayward for a moment.

Though the All-Star forward has been the crown jewel of this year’s free agency—not to disrespect Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry, who were never threats to leave the Golden State Warriors—other worthwhile players remain on the market.

Two examples are shooting guards Nick Young and Jamal Crawford. Per ESPN’s Chris Haynes and Marc J. Spears, "there’s a strong possibility" the Golden State Warriors end up with one of the off-the-bench scorers.

Jae C. Hong/Associated Press

This accords with Adrian Wojnarowski, who tweeted Monday night that the Los Angeles Clippers were looking to send the 37-year-old shooting guard packing in a three-way deal with the Denver Nuggets and Atlanta Hawks:

The centerpiece of this potential three-way swap is forward Danilo Gallinari, who would get a three-year, $65-million deal via a sign-and-trade. He seems to be heading to L.A. in any case, but this deal would free up some cash for Doc Rivers:

Where do the Warriors come in? Per HoopsHype’s Alex Kennedy, Crawford would likely be bought out by the Hawks, freeing him to sign with any team:

Frank Isola of the New York Daily News didn’t rule out a return to the New York Knicks for J-Crossover, but Crawford could be hungry for a title having racked up $135 million over the course of his 17-year NBA career. If that’s the case, it’s clear which team gets the upper chance there.

(Hint: It’s the one with two MVP winners.)

Ed Betz/Associated Press

Haynes and Spears wrote that the Dubs would "be the front-runners for [Crawford’s] services if they still possessed the taxpayer midlevel exception of $5.2 million," adding that, according to sources, "Crawford will only consider contending teams following a buyout should the trade go through."

If this tangled three-way deal—which would include Paul Millsap, who’s already agreed to join the Denver Nuggets, per The Vertical’s Shams Charania—hits a snag, expect Golden State to turn its attention toward Swaggy P. According to Haynes and Spears, Draymond Green and Kevin Durant have been "actively recruiting" the shooter, who’s coming off a solid year with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Now 32 years old, Young knocked down 40.4 percent of his attempts from downtown while averaging 13.2 points per game last year. Luke Walton also turned the 6’7” Young into, at times, a more engaged, much-improved defender.

Winslow Townson/Associated Press

Late Sunday night, Green posted a video of himself and Young on his Snapchat account, inciting emojis all over Twitter:

On Tuesday afternoon, TNT’s David Aldridge reported that the Minnesota Timberwolves, who’ve loaded up with Jimmy Butler and Taj Gibson, are recruiting Young, too:

The Swag Mamba playing under head coach Tom Thibodeau would be must-see. The sound bites could be legendary.

Mark Medina of the Orange County Register threw the Oklahoma City Thunder into the mix for Young:

While the Warriors appear to be the obvious choice (money aside), playing off Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins, the best big-man tandem in basketball, would be intriguing. The same could be said for Russell Westbrook and Paul George in Oklahoma City, who are in need desperate of shooters after ranking 25th in made triples per game.

It’s conceivable that Young's responsibilities in NOLA and OKC would be greater than in the Bay Area, but again—that title. At a career crossroads, it will be interesting to see which route Young takes assuming all offers are on the table.