Randy Wittman, George Karl discuss Jordan Crawford trade

WASHINGTON -- Randy Wittman spoke more about the Washington Wizards' decision to trade Jordan Crawford to the Boston Celtics, and while he repeated many of the points made at shootaround, he did go into more detail about the decision.

Wittman was asked whether he was disappointed by Crawford's behavior after his benching.

"I'm not going to get into those kinds of things, [but] I do observe that," he said. "That is a big part of being a part of a team. How do you handle adversity. It's important for all our guys. Roles fluctuate. In this business, you've got to stay committed no matter if it's happening good for you or not. That applies to all our guys. Being in this league as long as I have, you see guys that have been in this league 13-14 years just because they took that approach."

I asked Wittman if he would have done anything differently to reach Crawford if he had the chance to do it all over again.

"You always, as a coach, look back and evaluate yourself, evaluate how you evaluate your players, all that stuff. That'll never change with me, whether it's how I conducted a game, how I substituted, how I develop a player, sure. Those are all things you look at," he said.

George Karl was also asked how he'd have handled a player like Crawford, an especially good question because Karl coached J.R. Smith for so many years.

"There's positive energy and there's negative energy. From the recollection that I feel, there was so much negative energy because of the situation and how it was handled, where it was going and how it was coming, he probably made it very difficult for them to keep him on the team. But there is a need for his talent. Being able to score points as quickly as he can score is a really powerful thing," he said.

Karl later added that he and Smith wore each other out after a while because "you're managing negative energy rather than managing positive energy."

Wizards Wrap: Sayonara Steez Edition

In today's Wrap, we roundup reaction to the trade that shipped His Steezness out of D.C. for less than peanuts.

The party line: Wittman's and Grunfeld's remarks on the Crawford trade

You know how we at Bullets Forever feel about the trade, and for the most part, we know how all of you feel, too.

Ernie Grunfeld spoke to reporters last night at 7pm (a notice to all reporters was sent at 6:45pm, for whatever it's worth), and Randy Wittman spoke after shootaround today. Both shared their thoughts about Crawford's future, the team's future, and why the two weren't really meshing.

First, Grunfeld:

On the reasons for the trade: "Our team has started to come together. Our chemistry has been real good. Our defensive intensity has improved and we’re one of the best defensive teams in the league during that stretch. We’re moving the basketball on the offensive end and we’re hoping that we can continue on that. And Jordan did not fit into our current plans for that, or our future plans. At this time, we thought it was in the best interest of everyone if we make this trade. It will be a good situation for Jordan. He might get an opportunity to go to a better team and help them and it will allow us to continue on the path that we’re trying to build in the locker room, with work ethic and team play, where everybody is on the same page and wanting to play for the same reasons. Being unselfish offensively and playing good aggressive defense."

On why Crawford didn’t fit: "If you’ve been watching our games, he hasn’t played that much lately and over the last 20 games or so his minutes have gone down and he wanted a bigger role. It wasn’t what he really wanted in that situation and we felt like our future was going to be with John Wall, Bradley Beal. Jordan got a lot more minutes early in the season when John was out with an injury and Brad was learning. John is back obviously and Brad is starting to come on and we feel like they were going to get the majority of the minutes going forward."

On what changed after acquiring Crawford two years ago from Atlanta: "Jordan, nothing really changed. He had some good moments, but the way we’re playing now is a lot different than then. Now we’re a defensive oriented team and our numbers especially over the last 20 games have shown that we’re one of the top defensive teams in the league. The ball movement has been really good recently and that’s helped us win some games. The players are playing the right way and trying to execute. They’ve been supportive of one another and it just seems like it wasn’t the perfect fit for Jordan at this time."

Ernie Grunfeld: "By no means are we satisfied with where we are" |The Washington Post's Michael Lee

Second, Wittman:

It’s just a situation, with John [Wall] coming back, the development of Bradley [Beal], the emergence of Martell [Webster], and Trevor [Ariza] playing and giving us what he is, it was a situation from a minutes standpoint that wasn’t satisfactory for him. I felt we had a good thing going from our rhythm and playing and winning and doing things the right way and defending, that his role changed a little bit, and the minutes weren’t going to quite be the same. I think he had a hard time with that. We felt this was the best thing to do moving forward.

...

There was still a situation for him to play and be a part. It wasn’t going be probably the significant minutes that he wanted.

Randy Wittman on trading Jordan Crawford | The Washington Examiner's Craig Stouffer

Here's my personal favorite quote from Grunfeld:

"A lot of positive things have happened but by no means are we satisfied with where we are."

Go ahead and check out each piece to get the full rundown of comments.

Jordan Crawford's greatest hits: A look back at the steeziest player in Wizards' history

As Jordan Crawford heads to Boston, we take this time to look back at what we'll miss from one of the Wizards' most interesting personalities.

Jordan Crawford becomes the latest 'problem player' to be dealt

Sure, Jordan Crawford was a malcontent that threatened the chemistry to the team, but what does it say about the organization that it got to that point?

Chris Wilcox refused to come to Wizards in Jordan Crawford trade, according to report

The Washington Wizards ultimately traded Jordan Crawford to the Boston Celtics for Jason Collins and Leandro Barbosa, but if it were up to them, they would have taken Chris Wilcox instead. However, Wilcox apparently didn't want to come to D.C.

Jason Collins wasn't supposed to be in original deal but sources say Chris Wilcox refused to waive his Bird rights & forced BOS to try again

— Michael Lee (@MrMichaelLee) February 22, 2013

Wilcox is one of several players on his second consecutive one-year minimim-salary contract. Due to a salary-cap quirk, such players lose their Bird Rights in any trade, so they have veto power over any deal. The clause is colloquially known as the Devean George rule, because the little-used Mavericks forward famously used the clause to hold up a trade that would have sent Jason Kidd to Dallas several years ago. Three years ago, James Singleton had the opportunity to use his veto power to hold up the trade that sent Caron Butler to Dallas, but decided to allow the trade to be completed.

The trade needed one more minimum-salary player because a straight up swap of Crawford for Barbosa would not have worked salary-wise. Therefore, the Celtics were forced to throw in Collins.

Jordan Crawford trade: Ernie Grunfeld said Crawford wasn't in team's plans

In an interview with Casey Phillips of Monumental Network, Washington Wizards general manager Ernie Grunfeld reiterated that the Wizards had simply decided to move on from Jordan Crawford and preferred to deal him elsewhere as soon as they could.

"Jordan is not in our plans, current plans for the present or the future," Grunfeld said. "The team over the last 20 games has really started to come together. Our defense has been one of the top defenses in the league over that span. Our chemistry has been top-notch, and we wanted to make sure we could continue on that path."

Grunfeld reiterated the same stance with reporters in a news conference and hinted at Crawford's frustrations with his current status on the team.

Ernie Grunfeld on Jordan Crawford: "Jordan did not fit into our current plans...or our future plans." #wizards

— Michael Lee (@MrMichaelLee) February 22, 2013

#Wizards Grunfeld says Crawford wanted a bigger role and wasn't happy with his current role

— Sky Kerstein (@SkyKerstein) February 22, 2013

Ernie Grunfeld on Crawford: "He hasn’t been the happiest person, but he’s a good player & we wish him luck in his new situation." #wizards

— Michael Lee (@MrMichaelLee) February 22, 2013

Clearly, there was some dysfunction taking place behind the scenes that became too much to overcome. However, it does feel like the Wizards should have been more proactive in anticipating a potential attitude problem with Crawford when his role was inevitably going to be reduced.

More Jordan Crawford trade coverage:

• Roundtable: Saying goodbye to Steez

• The (non)-cap implications

Grading the trade: Bullets Forever's Jordan Crawford Round Table Part 2

It finally happened, and the Steez is no longer with us. The official trade was Jordan Crawford to the Celtics for Leandro Barbosa's expiring contract and a few months of Jason Collins. Bullets Nation in Exile, Jkhan15, Jeff, Mike, Thomas, and I tell you how we really feel about it.

Jordan Crawford trade: Wizards rejected Fab Melo offer, preferred savings

Michael Lee of the Washington Post reports that the Celtics initially offered Fab Melo to the Wizards in the Jordan Crawford trade, but Washington preferred to take Collins and Barbosa and save more money going forward:

According to a league source, the Celtics offered Fab Melo, a 7-foot rookie from Brazil who appeared in just four games this season. The Wizards, though, had no interest in taking back salary beyond this season, especially for a big man who remains a project. They opted for the financial savings instead.

A breakdown of that savings is here.

The salary-cap implications of the Jordan Crawford trade

What does the Jordan Crawford trade mean for the Wizards' future salary-cap number? We break down the numbers.

Jason Collins will report to Wizards, he says

For now, Jason Collins will indeed report to the Washington Wizards, according to Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe:

Always tough talking to guy who's been traded from potential playoff team to rebuilding team, Jason Collins said he will report to #wizards

— gary washburn (@GwashNBAGlobe) February 21, 2013

It remains to be seen if that holds true or if the Wizards agree to a buyout with him. If Collins and Barbosa both stay on the roster, the Wizards will have 15 players under contract.

Wizards receive Jason Collins in Jordan Crawford trade, according to report

The Wizards will also receive Jason Collins in the deal for Jordan Crawford, according to a report.

Jordan Crawford traded to Celtics for Leandro Barbosa's expiring contract

The Wizards will receive Leandro Barbosa's expiring contract for Jordan Crawford. Barbosa is out for the year with a torn ACL. So, they literally got nothing.

Jordan Crawford traded to Boston Celtics, according to report

The Wizards have traded Jordan Crawford to the Boston Celtics, according to a report.

NBA trade rumors: Mavericks also involved in Jordan Crawford sweepstakes, according to report

The Wizards have reportedly talked to the Dallas Mavericks about Jordan Crawford in addition to the Boston Celtics.

NBA trade rumors: Jordan Crawford on Boston Celtics' radar, according to report

A report suggests that Jordan Crawford is on the Boston Celtics' "radar." Project 2012 first-round pick Fab Melo would be the main piece coming back.

NBA trade deadline: Pondering life without Jordan Crawford

How do you solve a problem like JCraw? BF's editors participate in a roundtable to try to determine the Wizards' next move with Jordan Crawford?

NBA trade rumors: The latest on the Jordan Crawford situation

Updating the latest Jordan Crawford rumors after another DNP-CD.

NBA trade rumors 2013: More indications that Jordan Crawford is 'available'

We now have another report suggesting that Jordan Crawford is indeed being shopped.

NBA trade rumors 2013: Is Jordan Crawford available to other teams?

One report suggests that Jordan Crawford is "eminently available" in a possible trade.