New York Knicks Trade Rumors: Jamal Crawford Coming To Town In Trade With LA Clippers?
New York Knicks trade rumors have Jamal Crawford at the top of a new wish list. These Knicks trade rumors were further discussed in a report from CBS Sports on Wednesday (August 19). The reason for sudden interest in re-acquiring Crawford is that he could provide a lot of offense off the bench. That might be something the Knicks need during the 2015-16 NBA season, especially in late-game situations.
The Clippers have found that several teams are interested in Crawford, even though a trade hasn’t materialized just yet. The Cleveland Cavaliers had been at the top of that list, with the same mindset that Knicks president Phil Jackson has. Acquiring Crawford might also mean that the Cavs don’t have to re-sign J.R. Smith in what has turned into an elongated free agency period for the two sides.
These New York Knicks trade rumors are most interesting because Jamal Crawford has played for the team before. In parts of five NBA seasons, Crawford averaged 17.6 points, 4.4 assists, and 1.1 steals per game with New York. Crawford even had two games where he scored more than 50 points, putting together his best year in the 2007-08 NBA season, when he averaged 20.6 points and 5.0 assists per game.
As previously reported by the Inquisitr, the Miami Heat have also become a team interested in bringing on Crawford as another scorer. He could make sense for the Heat off the bench, but that roster is already 11 to 12 players deep, so it’s hard to see where his minutes might be coming from. The LA Clippers have to be pleased that so much interest is being shown for the 35-year-old veteran out of Seattle. He will make about $5.675 million for the 2015-16 NBA season, making him a pretty affordable option for any team outside of Los Angeles.
The Clippers have become concerned about how much the franchise will have to pay in luxury tax penalties. Much like how the Golden State Warriors basically dumped David Lee on the Boston Celtics, the Clippers will take on a deal that allows the team to get out of paying that salary for Crawford. What makes the most sense in these New York Knicks trade rumors is that the team has the salary cap space to make it work very easily. It all comes down to how much Phil Jackson is willing to spend on Jamal Crawford, but it could certainly be a nice acquisition for a rebuilding team.
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