Add Jamal Crawford to the list of players that may be headed to Turkey or elsewhere in Europe.
Our own Kris Willis from Peachtree Hoops (and college basketball and Atlanta Dream editor on SB Nation Atlanta) picked up on a piece behind one of those silly ESPN paywalls, which revealed that the Atlanta Hawks sixth-man is looking to take his services to the same Turkish league that will likely see Zaza Pachulia and Deron Williams lacing up the athletic shoes when the start of the season is probably delayed by heavy-handed NBA commissioner David Stern's silly little lockout.
While Pachulia and Williams will probably play for the Besiktas team, Crawford would probably play for a different team in Turkey or elsewhere in Europe.
The only difference in the negotiations is that Crawford is a free agent. That has made some of his potential suitors more reluctant to give the 2009-10 NBA Sixth Man of the Year an out-clause in his contract like Pachulia and Williams will have when their deals are finalized.
That's a non-starter with Crawford's agent Aaron Goodwin.
"So far in the conversations for Jamal Crawford, teams have shown [both a] reluctance and a willingness to have that clause in there," Goodwin said. "Obviously, we would never pursue it without a clause being in there where the player can opt out."
Playing abroad seems to be the trend -- or at least a strategy -- for the players in during the lockout. Also headed to Europe are Toronto Raptors swingman (and former Arkansas star) Sonny Weems and Darius Songaila of the Philadelphia 76ers.
Of course, Stern could stem the tide if he and the players union actually got to the negotiating table and worked out a deal. But that's about as likely right now as Stern's little buddy Gary Bettman reversing course and bringing the Atlanta Thrashers back from Winnipeg. Not going to happen in the NBA -- at least in the short term.