Rivers would be 'surprised' if Crawford weren't on Clippers roster
Clippers guard Jamal Crawford has been the center of plenty of trade rumors for months.
Could he be going to the Cavaliers? The Knicks? The Heat? Somewhere else? We don't know. All we can speculate on is that Crawford, who has cryptically expressed a desire to control his own professional destiny on Twitter multiple times over the offseason, may not be the best basketball fit in Los Angeles anymore.
The Clippers brought back Austin Rivers, traded for Lance Stephenson and signed Pablo Prigioni. That gives them plenty of guards on a team that already employs Chris Paul and J.J. Redick. So, who's getting the ball on that second unit? The answer to that question becomes even more confusing when you consider that Josh Smith is going to want to control the rock, as well.
More importantly to Crawford, how does a ball-dominant, shoot-first, instant-offense shooting guard fit into that roster? If Stephenson and Smith and Paul and Rivers are all pounding, when does Crawford get his shots? And how?
That's why you've seen all these rumors about Crawford. But Clippers coach Doc Rivers shot them down pretty hard while making a radio appearance this weekend. From James Herbert of CBS Sports:
It was logical to think president and general manager Doc Rivers would try to move Crawford, but training camp is approaching and he's still on the roster. Rivers addressed the matter in an interview with Fred Roggin on The Beast 980 on Friday.
"I've heard all the rumors about Jamal going other places," Rivers said. "Jamal's a Clipper and I would be very surprised if he's not a Clipper by the season's end."
To be clear, Roggin asked him again: "You're planning on keeping him right now?"
"Yeah," Rivers responded. "Yeah. Absolutely."
It's a bit complicated because Rivers is both the man controlling the bench and the front office. Coaches will always insist their current guys are their guys for the long haul. Team presidents have different agendas.
So, was this Doc the coach talking, trying to make Jamal feel more comfortable inside a rough environment? Or was this Rivers being honest for a different reason?
You have to imagine the market for Crawford is pretty dry. Instant-offense, off-the-bench guards usually aren't all too sought out. Just look at Lou Williams, who signed a deal worth only $21 million over three years after winning Sixth Man of the Year this past season. Or check out J.R. Smith, who opted out of a deal worth more than $6 million for the upcoming season and had to sign one for even less with the Cavaliers after presumably misreading the market.
If the Clippers don't think they can find anyone who wants Crawford -- or who would be willing to give up what they value him at -- then maybe Doc would be surprised if they actually were to trade him.
(h/t CBS Sports)
