Report: Warriors front-runner to land Crawford if bought out by Hawks
If Jamal Crawford is in fact traded to the Atlanta Hawks, he may not be in the ATL for long.
With the Hawks, Los Angeles Clippers, and Denver Nuggets closing in on a three-team sign-and-trade, Crawford reportedly has no plans to play in Atlanta and would seek an immediate buyout if the deal goes through.
If the 37-year-old is bought out, the Golden State Warriors would be a front-runner to land Crawford as they still hold the taxpayer mid-level exception, sources tell ESPN's Chris Haynes and Marc J. Spears.
But the Hawks would only be willing to buy out Crawford if he gives back a significant portion of his current salary, according to Sam Amick of USA TODAY Sports.
Atlanta would prefer to trade Crawford in order to get some sort of return for the 17-year veteran. The Cleveland Cavaliers, San Antonio Spurs, New Orleans Pelicans, and Milwaukee Bucks have all expressed interest in trading for him, league sources tell Haynes and Spears.
The Warriors are reportedly also in talks with unrestricted free agent Nick Young.
Crawford is close friends with Kevin Durant, and enjoyed his time in Golden State during the 2008-09 season, according to Marcus Thompson of the Mercury News.
The 6-foot-5 guard averaged 12.3 points, 2.6 assists, and 1.6 rebounds on 41.3 percent shooting for the Clippers this past season.