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NBA Free Agency: Jamal Crawford turns down Wall’s overtures, signs two year deal with Minnesota

By Jake Whitacre Updated
NBA: Los Angeles Clippers at Washington Wizards Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

UPDATE: It looks like Crawford is heading to Minnesota. Sorry, John.

The deal for the Room Exception is worth a lot more than Crawford could have made in Washington, and he’ll play a big role in Minnesota, just like he would have in Washington, so you can understand the decision from Crawford’s perspective. Still, that’s a rough blow for Wall and the Wizards. We’ll see where Washington goes from here.

The original post is below.

The Atlanta Hawks bought out Jamal Crawford’s contract on Friday after acquiring him in a three-way trade with the Clippers and Nuggets. Friday night on SportsCenter, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reported the Wizards are making a push to get him, including some strong recruitment by John Wall:

“Washington’s an interesting one to watch here, because he nearly chose them prior when he went to the Clippers. I’m been told John Wall has been pretty aggressive in his recruitment, trying to get him to take a hard look at that Wizards team. They certainly need to improve that bench in Washington, but Jamal Crawford is going to have plenty of suitors.

The Wizards - along with the Timberwolves, Cavaliers, and Lakers - have been mentioned as potential landing spots, in multiple reports.

Washington would need to release a player (most likely Sheldon Mac or Daniel Ochefu, who are both on unguaranteed deals) or make a trade to clear a roster spot to sign Crawford. Once they make clear the spot, the Wizards would still only be able to offer a veteran’s minimum deal for $2.3 million.

Wall’s involvement in the Crawford recruitment speaks volumes. Wall has played at Crawford’s Summer League in Seattle in the past, and the two have shared their respect for each other’s game on Twitter multiple times:

It’s also indicates that Wall still thinks the Wizards can do more to improve the Wizards’ bench after adding Tim Frazier, Jodie Meeks, and Mike Scott this summer. With a big extension on the line this summer, Washington needs to do whatever they can make sure Wall is satisfied with where the team is headed.