NBA Rumors: Orlando Magic, Jamal Crawford Reportedly Linked in Free Agency
by Evan Dunlap on Dec 4, 2011 10:00 PM EST
in NBA Rumors
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The Orlando Magic are among the teams to contact the agent for free-agent combo guard Jamal Crawford in recent days, reports Jarrod Rudolph of RealGM. The 11-year veteran is coming off the two most successful seasons of his career, which included winning Sixth Man of the Year honors with the Atlanta Hawks in 2009/10. He also played an instrumental role in helping Atlanta upset Orlando in the first round of the 2011 NBA Playoffs, averaging 20.5 points per game on 43.5 percent shooting from the field and 45.9 percent on three-pointers during that series.
Crawford, 31, could theoretically add some scoring punch to an Orlando bench bereft of it; he'd also instantly become the team's best shot-creator, a skill in which the Magic are woefully deficient. Indeed, Crawford's performance against the Magic in the most recent postseason had coach Stan Van Gundy lamenting his team's lack of off-the-dribble scoring threats. Van Gundy mentioned Crawford by name.
Whether Orlando has the cash to lure Crawford remains to be seen. The Indiana Pacers are another of the teams interested, and could offer him more money. And they're driven to add him: according to Alex Kennedy of HOOPSWORLD, the Pacers "love" Crawford. The Chicago Bulls and New Orleans Hornets are among the other teams vying for Crawford, Rudolph reports.
Crawford has settled nicely into his reserve role with Atlanta, averaging 16.1 points per game off its bench over the last two seasons, shooting 43.7 percent from the field and 36.3 percent from beyond the three-point arc.
Crawford isn't the only backup scoring guard in whom Orlando's shown interest of late: it was previously linked to Nate Robinson, who is seeking his release from the Oklahoma City Thunder in order to sign with a team that's able to offer him consistent playing time. That the Magic have expressed interest in both players strongly suggests they've made shot-creation and scoring a high priority during free agency.
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Can't see us having the $ to bring him to Orlando.
Even if we did, Otis should not be looking to sign anyone to a contract of more than one year (unless it’s Dwight Howard). We should be trying to shed salary before next summer.
Supporting from Hawai'i
stunning defense by JJ in that pic
Finally, Gilbert Arenas can become the player he was meant to be!
Had to go verify, but in fact Jamal Crawford HAS played for Golden State.
Thus giving credence to the rumor that Otis Smith is interested in signing him.
"...sometimes your eyes lie to you..." ~SVG | I'm on Twitter
by magicfaninTN on Dec 4, 2011 11:08 PM EST reply actions 1 recs
Do you think the only reason
Otis is interested in Crawford is because the Hornets are interested in him too? And maybe that will give the Hornets more incentive to deal CP3 to us? Just a thought..
Very interesting theory.
What would be awesome if Otis already has a “shopping list” from the Hornets that would make them say yes to a deal. Sure, it’s an insanely long shot, but it will keep me warm as I go to sleep tonight.
Fingers crossed and beard still growing.
Good lord Otis haven’t you already done enough damage to the franchise?
Quit while your ahead…
by ap3604 on Dec 5, 2011 5:33 AM EST reply actions
Is he ahead at this point?
Supporting from Hawai'i
Odd.
If J-Rich was his top priority, and JJ is the current backup (and an efficient scorer in his own right), then bringing in Crawford seems redundent UNLESS:
a) this rumor is a bunch of hogwash
b) it doesn’t appear that J-Rich will be staying
c) J-Rich is staying but JJ is being traded
d) some sort of 13-dimensional chess game with NO, who’s also shown interest
by The BBQ Chicken Madness on Dec 5, 2011 9:44 AM EST reply actions
Lineup perhaps:
PG- Nellie, Crawford, Duhon
SG- Redick, Q-Rich, Liggins
SF- Hedo, Harper
PF- Ryan, Bass, (Warm Body)
C- D12, Foster
That’s an awful 2nd team though.
"I'm a little dysfunctional
You're the problem, Please don't awakin me
And I'm that way cause back in the day
Most have forsaken me"
Where's Arenas? I see it more like:
PG- Nelson, Arenas, Duhon
SG- Redick, Crawford, Liggins
SF- Hedo, Harper/Q-Rich
PF- Bass, Ryan, Clark
C- Howard, Ryan/Bass
EAT ME
Amnestied Arenas
"I'm a little dysfunctional
You're the problem, Please don't awakin me
And I'm that way cause back in the day
Most have forsaken me"
by 4QB on Dec 5, 2011 5:59 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
I don't think the Magic amnesty anyone this year.
They don’t really get anything by doing it now and waiting until next season you have a million more options and 66+ additional games of information.
Fingers crossed and beard still growing.
It could get them under the cap allowing them to use the full mid-level exception. so yes, it would benefit them this year.
by Justin85 on Dec 5, 2011 10:48 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
But on who?
A MLE player isn’t going to make or break you this year unless you can flip them in a package for CP3.
Barring that, I don’t think there are any players out there that would make a real difference this year. If you can’t bring in Chris Paul (or comparable blockbuster), you wait and see what happens this year and then move all of the pieces next summer when you have a full off season to make moves and decide what to do.
Fingers crossed and beard still growing.
If Dwight insists on leaving
maybe we could get Deron and Brook Lopez and the nets can take a stab at Paul? He wants to play in NY and with Dwight supposedly, so… Only if Dwight insists on leaving of course.
I dunno, just spinning for ideas for no reason at lunchtime…
Yugly.
Bringing in Crawford? Well, all of our problems are solved.
I don't get the whole 'pop-tart cats pooping rainbows thing,' but then, I'm old. So, there it is.
1) Not gonna happen
He’s going to get like 8 million per, the Magic don’t have that.
2) IF by some miracle it did happen and we got him for the MLE, hey, at least we wouldn’t have to play against him next season.
You can't reason with stupid.
http://www.twitter.com/JShannonhouse3
http://www.twitter.com/Amway_Get_Loud
Oh boy, a 31 year old defensive ace Jamal Crawford.
I hope the Magic front office is just sending out smoke screens. I can not seriously believe that they would be looking to get older, less offensively efficient, way worse defensively and handicap the future all in one move, right? gulp…
Going to happen
On a team with a backcourt featuring;
*PG – Nelson, Arenas, Duhon
*SG – Jrich, Redick, Q
The only logical move is to go after a scoring combo guard.
I almost think that Duhon has soured Otis Smith on passing and defense. “They told me guards should pass and defend and I took that gamble once. Never again.”
The next few years Otis Smith wandered the countryside collecting as many positionless guards as he could find that were willing to fearlessly chuck the basketball at the rim without remorse. He paid them all millions and it was the most beautiful sight he had ever seen.
by aTasteLikeBurning on Dec 5, 2011 1:51 PM EST reply actions
Does off-the-dribble players fit SVG system?
SVG always says that ISO plays produce inefficient shots. He want’s to move the ball and find a good shot instead of going one on one. Vince Carter wasn’t allowed to go one on one. Gilbert Arenas wasn’t allowed to play his freestyle game. Even Jason Williams used to get benched when attempting fancy moves instead of passing the ball. Rashard Lewis used to have an all around game and was turned to a “catch and shoot” player. So do you think is it worth paying for an “off-the-dribble player”, when you are not going to use it. Or do you think SVG can tweak his system so these kind of players can fit in?
I think Crawford would be a great backup player in Orlando.
But for the money, he’d be horrible and we’d regret it quickly. We have a habit of recruiting guys who either played for Golden State at one point or just play well against us. Crawford fits both requirements but I don’t see this working out financially. He needs to go to a team with deep pockets where he can be a missing piece. The Magic are practically in rebuild mode and Jamal Crawford won’t help that process.
The intensity has to go up, up! Not down...UP! -Stan Van Gundy
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