Jamal Crawford, the NBA's reigning sixth man of the year, has requested a contract extension to stay with the Atlanta Hawks according to ESPN's Chris Broussard.
Crawford is in the final year of a contract that will pay him $10,080,000 next season. If the 6-foot-5 shooting guard doesn't get the extension, he would more than likely be one of the top free agents next summer.
The 30-year-old Crawford made his request three weeks ago, but with the Hawks focused on re-signing All-Star Joe Johnson and other free agents, talks have not progressed to the serious stage.
Broussard reports that the reason Crawford is requesting the extension now, rather than waiting to test the free agent market next season, has to do with the NBA's impending lockout.
Like many potential free agents, Crawford would like to sign an extension before the league's current collective bargaining agreement expires after next season.
There is widespread belief around the league that there will be a lockout next summer, and many executives agree the next collective bargaining agreement will not be as favorable toward players.