While participating in the Rip City Basketball Classic over the weekend, Atlanta Hawks free agent Jamal Crawford talked free agency and indicated that the Portland Trailblazers would be one of the teams that he wouldn't mind playing for next season.
"Yeah, definitely. I've been watching the Blazers so long with Brandon [Roy] being one of my best friends. With LaMarcus here, Wes [Matthews] and Ray [Felton], it's almost close to a hometown team. I'm from Seattle. It's the closest thing we have to baketball right now."
Previously, Portland's LaMarcus Aldridge had taken to twitter to openly recruit Crawford back to his pacific northwest home and now it appears that the interest is mutual.
Crawford has spent the last two seasons in Atlanta who declined to offer him a contract extension. Jamal was the Sixth Man of the Year during his first season in Atlanta under coach Mike Woodson but didn't experience the same success in his second year under new coach Larry Drew.
However, Crawford is still a dangerous scorer that is capable of changing a game as Orlando found out in the playoffs last season. There is still a possibility that the Hawks will pursue Crawford once the Lockout is over but if the team's salary structure remains the same as it is now, they may not be able to offer him a deal at market value.
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