The LA Clippers may look at a Jamal Crawford trade this year and teams like the Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat, Portland Trail Blazers and Sixers could be options if Crawford is traded and this comes as Los Angeles may look at bringing in Glen Davis on a free agent contract if he does not play overseas in China or Europe next season.
The Clippers have made a number of moves this offseason to add depth to the bench and that could be what pushes out Crawford from Los Angeles. The team has signed Josh Smith, Paul Pierce, Wesley Johnson and Pablo Prigioni and all that came after the Clippers traded for Lance Stephenson. All of that added to the roster along with Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, JJ Redick and DeAndre Jordan means that Crawford is way down on the pecking order this year.
Crawford could still be a fit as an offensive option off the bench, but it is not likely that Crawford will play as much of a role as he did last season. The Orange County Register reported last week that Crawford hinted on SoCal media that he is "unhappy with his situation" with the Clippers and that he wrote he wished he was a free agent. It likely isn't any animus towards the Clippers, but since he is in the final year of his contract and the team has made so many moves, Crawford's role is different now and it could mean that Crawford is on his way out.
Glen Davis reportedly could return to the Clippers, as Pro Basketball Talk reports that Davis is considering options from overseas. The reports says that Davis is "open to playing overseas" and that the Clippers are considering bringing back Davis on a minimum deal. The Clippers were still talking to Davis last month, but no deal has gotten done yet. Last season Davis averaged four points and 2.3 rebounds in 12 minutes per game.
According to Chris Haynes at Cleveland.com, Crawford could be a trade option for the Cavaliers, as he would be open to playing for the Cavs. Haynes writes that he is friendly with Crawford and that "would definitely like to be a part" be open to playing for the team if a trade happened. A deal for Crawford looks likely at some point for the Clippers, as he is not likely going to play a major role this season for the team. Last year Crawford played in 64 games and averaged 15.8 points per game off the bench.
The Cavaliers have a trade exception from the Brendan Haywood deal and the team could use that to get Crawford. The Cleveland Plain Dealer reported earlier in the offseason that the Cavaliers and Miami Heat were interested in Crawford and the Blazers also could be in the mix. The Heat previously were looking for more bench scoring, but they have added Gerald Green and have also signed draft pick Josh Richardson. If the team trades Chris Andersen or Mario Chalmers, Crawford could be a potential option, but the team is continuing to try and cut salary and tax space.
