Atlanta Hawks free agent guard Jamal Crawford is drawing a lot of interest from multiple teams that are interested in acquiring the services of the former Sixth Man of the Year award winner. According to a report, as many as seven teams have expressed interest in Crawford and at least four of them have inquired about a possible sign-and-trade deal with the Hawks.
Indiana, New Jersey, Chicago, Orlando, Portland, New Orleans and Phoenix have expressed interest in him. Among those teams, at least Indiana, New Jersey, Chicago and Orlando have inquired about a sign-and-trade with the Hawks.
Atlanta might very well wish to keep Crawford who has been instrumental to their success over the last two seasons, but they may not have the financial resources to do so. The Hawks are cap strapped and it is going to be a challenge to field the league minimum of 13 players without going into the luxury tax.
The decision for the Hawks on Crawford becomes that much more difficult with the news that Kirk Hinrich will miss the start of the season after having shoulder surgery. That leaves Atlanta extremely thin at the guard position and facing the possibility of at least in the short term of having to replace two of the top four guards on the team from last season. That might not be an easy task with this free agent crop especially given Atlanta's limited resources financially.
For more on Jamal Crawford's free agency and the Atlanta Hawks, be sure to check out Peachtree Hoops.