The LA Clippers may look at a Jamal Crawford trade this season and the NY Knicks could be interested in a deal with Jose Calderon if Los Angeles wants to add a point guard. The Clippers signed Josh Smith and Paul Pierce in the offseason and that could push Crawford out of his role and this comes as a Glen Davis deal is unlikely after his surgery.
The Clippers have made a number of additions this offseason, including signing Smith, Pierce, Wesley Johnson and Pablo Prigioni. The team also has JJ Redick, Chris Paul, Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan and all those players could relegate Crawford to a smaller role than he had last season. Crawford generated some trade interest early in the summer, but a deal did not come close to happening. According to the NY Daily News, Frank Isola reported that the Knicks have "expressed interest" in a trade Crawford this summer.
The Knicks roster is mostly set heading into camp and they likely would trade Calderon in a deal for Crawford if it happened. The Knicks are okay with Jerian Grant and Langston Galloway as the main potions at point guard even with their inexperience and that could make Calderon expendable. According to Pro Basketball Talk, Calderon hinted on social media that the Timberwolves and the Clippers have interest in trading for him.
Crawford is reportedly frustrated with his role in Los Angeles, but reports have the Clippers unwilling to just "give away" the guard. The Knicks have signed Arron Afflalo and Robyn Lopez this summer along with Derrick Williams and adding another veteran to play alongside Carmelo Anthony wouldn't be the worst move in the world. Calderon would be a slight upgrade for the Clippers over Chris Paul's backups in Austin Rivers and Prigioni and that could put make the team interested in a move.
Former NBA exec Bobby Marks reported that Calderon is really the only piece the Knicks have to move and that even if they did talk, it could be tough due to Calderon's extra year on his contract. Sometimes these deals wait until training camps to start so teams can see what needs they have and what injuries pop up. Pro Basketball talk writes that if a deal happens, it could wait until December so players that were signed this summer can also be traded.
Ian Begley at ESPN New York reported that a trade with Calderon is "not imminent" and if a deal happens, it likely will go down later in the season. The Knicks have also reportedly had interest in Ricky Rubio and there is a chance the team could explore that deal later in the season as well. The Clippers were reportedly interested in bringing back Glen Davis, but Marc Spears at Yahoo reports that Davis had ankle surgery. Davis could be an option down the line, as he is expected to miss around three to four months with the injury.
Check here for more on the interest in Crawford and more on Calderon.
