Knicks Rumors: New York Won't Catch Jamal Crawford with Lowball Offer

The New York Knicks better have a few tricks left up their collective sleeve if they're going to bring Jamal Crawford back to the Big Apple.

So far, all they've come up with is the NBA equivalent of a multicolored scarf, as Frank Isola of the New York Daily News tweeted on Monday:

Granted, the market for Crawford is shrinking, especially now that the Indiana Pacers—who'd previously shown interest in signing Crawford—have shot their wad on David West.

Still, $2.5 million per year for a 31-year-old who can pour in 20 points on any given night seems a bit shallow, even if it's all the Knicks can muster after signing Tyson Chandler, trading away Ronny Turiaf and waiving Chauncey Billups. Surely, there are other teams with cap space around the league who could make Crawford a more attractive offer (i.e. the Denver Nuggets and the Memphis Grizzlies)?

The question for Crawford, should he garner those offers, is whether he wants to chase a ring and if he thinks the Knicks have the sort of roster on hand that would allow him to do just that. New York's frontcourt trio of Chandler, Carmelo Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire will be formidable, though whether recent veteran signee Mike Bibby can get them the ball is another question entirely.

Crawford may be willing to give the team a bit of leeway after having spent just over three seasons in town in the mid-2000s. Those were much darker days at Madison Square Garden, days during which Isiah Thomas still reigned over owner James Dolan's kingdom of ineptitude.

The organization is much better off now than it was then, but will that be enough coax Crawford into taking less money, considering he's arguably the best shooting guard on the free-agent market right now?

The Knicks certainly hope so, though with so many potential suitors still on the prowl, it seems unlikely at this point.

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