Jamal Crawford (Photo : NBAE via Getty Images)
Los Angeles Clippers shooting guard Jamal Crawford could be involved in a swap for Minnesota Timberwolves' Kevin Martin as the two-time sixth man of the year winner tries to look for a more stable role off the bench.
The Clippers are off to a hot start in the 2015-2016 NBA regular season, winning all of their first four games through the help of a newly mixed lineup of NBA veterans and a starting lineup led by the trio of Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, and DeAndre Jordan.
While the Clippers' core roster has been clicking so far, former sixth man of the year Jamal Crawford is gradually finding himself in a lesser role off the bench for Doc Rivers as new additions like Lance Stephenson and Paul Pierce are poised to take over his minutes.
Just before the start of the regular season, Crawford had to vent out what he thinks about Clippers' bench rotation of guards, which the 15-year veteran described as players who all want the basketball in their hands.
Crawford may be trying too hard to position himself as the main man of the second stringers, but he actually has a point. Instead piling up a handful of ball hogs in the second unit, the Clippers could grab the chance of getting another shooter, who relishes his role as a bench player. Enter Martin.
Clippers fans feel their team is better off with a pure shooter like Martin, who has been demoted to a role player with the emergence of young talents in Andrew Wiggins, Zach Lavine, and Shabazz Muhammad, according to Jose Salvati of Sports Illustrated's Fansided.
The Australian Network News also noted that Crawford has always been the lead guy among the second unit to attempt shots in games, and he may actually see himself taking the exact role with the Timberwolves as Minnesota has limited players who are willing to take shots in crucial game situations.
The Sports Blog, on the other hand, has some very "enticing" trade scenarios for Crawford. The report suggested that Crawford could also be swapped for Chicago Bulls backup center Joakim Noah, who was demoted in new coach Fred Hoiberg's rotation.
It "could make sense" with LA needing a decent backup for center for Jordan, while the Bulls would certainly entertain an improvement in their second unit.
If things continue to displease Crawford in Los Angeles, there is a chance we could see him wearing a different jersey for the seventh time in his career.
