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Basketball Insider’s Michael Scotto reported, via Twitter, that Atlanta guard Jamal Crawford would consider joining the Boston Celtics should he be bought out by the Hawks.
Jamal Crawford would consider joining the Celtics, if bought out by the Hawks, a source told Basketball Insiders. https://t.co/gRmLIfZ9Gk
— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) July 6, 2017
At age 37, Crawford is one the game’s elder statesmen, and a friend of fellow Seattle-are native Isaiah Thomas. He’s a dangerous isolation scorer with a bevy of flashy dribble moves and nearly limitless range. He’s also a terrible defender at this point of his career.
Signing on with Boston would mean taking a significant pay cut, and potentially even having to settle for the minimum. The Celtics have a crowded backcourt as it is, but adding some instant offense in the form of Crawford does hold some appeal. The team’s second unit has consistently lacked creation, and while adding Gordon Hayward solves that problem considerably, having a quality veteran presence on the end of the bench that can score in bunches never hurts.
There is a lot more to be done before the Celtics can even entertain the idea of adding Crawford to the mix, but his reported interest suggests that Boston may be a destination for veterans looking to compete in a meaningful way and willing to sacrifice money to do so. That could go a long way in rounding out the team’s roster.