Philadelphia 76ers: Jamal Crawford has interest in coming to South Philly

The Philadelphia 76ers are short on wing depth following Zhaire Smith’s injury.

As of right now, the Philadelphia 76ers have filled all 15 roster spots. They also have a pair of two-way players, meaning no more moves are necessary ahead of the 2018-19 season. That doesn’t mean the front office is done tweaking the roster, though.

Jerryd Bayless doesn’t have any clear value, meaning the Sixers might look to move on. Whether it be a buyout or trade, getting rid of his $8.6 million contract could open up another roster spot — one that can be used on wing depth, something the Sixers presently lack.

One potential option, should that roster spot open up, is Jamal Crawford. And he seems to have plenty of interest in coming to South Philly.

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In a recent interview with Brandon Robinson on Scoop B Radio, Crawford had this to say about the possibility of joining the Sixers.

"“I think for me, especially being out there as a free agent, something could work out. I would be honored to play there, but things obviously have to take its course and I kind of got to sit back, but who wouldn’t want to play there? …I like their city. I like how into it they are about basketball. I like their knowledge of basketball, how passionate they are. I’ve always loved coach Brett Brown. I’ve been on record. I’ve been a fan of his for years. He just needed talent, and now he has that. He added Ben Simmons, I love his game. I love JoJo. They’re both among my favorite players in the league to watch. Markelle is like a little brother to me. Obviously, he went to the University of Washington, and we talk every other day. J.J. Redick is like a brother to me, we’ve been through wars together, so there’s so many things to love about Philadelphia for sure.”"

We here at The Sixer Sense have already written about the possibility of adding Crawford on numerous occasions. He makes a lot of sense on paper, adding another shot-creator who can space the floor and get buckets off the bench.

Whether or not he’s actually good entering his age 38 season is another question. Defensive concerns and poor efficiency have made Crawford a net negative in recent campaigns. There’s reason to believe that will continue as his career winds down.

Last season, Crawford was the crux of Coach Thibs’ veteran-heavy bench in Minnesota. In 20.7 minutes per game, he averaged 10.3 points on 41.5 percent shooting.

As he mentioned in the quote above, Crawford has a lot of connections to this Sixers team. He’s from the Seattle area, which brought him close to Markelle Fultz during the former No. 1 pick’s lone season at Washington.

Crawford also spent four seasons with J.J. Redick in Los Angeles, playing with the Clippers from 2013-17. There is more than enough familiarity there.

In addition to Fultz and Redick, Crawford had no shortage of praise for Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons and Brett Brown. It’s important to remember that Crawford joined the Wolves last season in hopes of “[helping them] get from one point to the next.” He isn’t ring-chasing in the traditional sense, and the Sixers fit that mold — a young team looking to take the next competitive step.

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Again, the Sixers don’t have to sign another player. The proverbial ball is in their court, meaning this could all blow over in a few weeks time. Crawford might have to look at other options if the Sixers decide to take a different route. The Warriors are looking for veteran minimum contracts.

Jamal Crawford has interest in joining the Philadelphia 76ers

By Christopher Kline | Aug 11, 2018

The Philadelphia 76ers are short on wing depth following Zhaire Smith’s injury.