Report: Crawford has preference to join Lonzo and the Lakers

The circus of speculation surrounding the future of veteran guard Jamal Crawford continues to expand.

After a report indicated that a three-team trade could send Crawford to Atlanta and then see him bought out in order to join the Golden State Warriors, a source told ESPN's Marc J. Spears that Crawford would prefer to join the Los Angeles Lakers.

Crawford reportedly wants to play with rookie guard Lonzo Ball, and the two already have a "solid relationship," according to Spears.

Having been a member of the Los Angeles Clippers since 2012, Crawford's family is already based out of Los Angeles, giving the 37-year-old incentive to remain in the state of California.

The Lakers are also interested in Crawford, a source told Spears.

Crawford has started just 40 games over the past eight seasons, so it's not clear that he'd step into a starting role if he joined the Lakers' youthful backcourt.