Lakers Rumors: Jamal Crawford Prefers Lakers If Contract Is Bought Out

Guard Jamal Crawford reportedly wants to join the Los Angeles Lakers. 

On Tuesday, Marc J. Spears of ESPN's The Undefeated noted Crawford wants to team up with Lonzo Ball in the Lakers' backcourt if he is able to secure a buyout of his contract. Crawford's family is based in Los Angeles, and he has played for the Clippers the past five seasons.

This comes after Shams Charania of The Vertical reported there was a three-way trade in place between the Clippers, Atlanta Hawks and Denver Nuggets that would send Crawford to Atlanta, Danilo Gallinari to Los Angeles and Paul Millsap to the Nuggets.

According to Spears, the Lakers also possess "strong interest" in bringing Crawford aboard with enough financial room "to offer a respectable contract."

Crawford could slide into the starting shooting guard role while mentoring Ball, who Spears said he already has a "solid relationship" with at this point.

The Lakers would be the 37-year-old's seventh team of his career after he played for the Clippers, Chicago Bulls, New York Knicks, Golden State Warriors, Hawks and Portland Trail Blazers. He's averaged double-digit scoring totals in each of the last 15 seasons, including the 12.3 points per game he scored in 2016-17 behind 36 percent shooting from three-point range.

While the Lakers are still rebuilding with a handful of younger players, Crawford is one of the most experienced playmakers in the league who could help Ball and others transition into the spotlight in a city he is familiar with from his days with the Clippers.