With the recent signings of shooting guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and point guard Tyler Ennis, the Los Angeles Lakers have solidified their backcourt for the upcoming season. Earlier this summer, however, there were a lot of rumors surrounding their interest in veteran Jamal Crawford.
After being traded from the Los Angeles Clippers to the Atlanta Hawks, Crawford was bought out and there was said to be interest on both sides. Of course, Crawford would eventually decide to sign with the Minnesota Timberwolves.
In an appearance on the HoopsHype Podcast with Alex Kennedy, Crawford explained that the Lakers were one of the first teams to contact him after he was bought out:
“To be honest, they were one of the first teams to reach out once the buyout and everything was clear. They were really, really interested and I was interested too. I feel like they’re a team that’s on the rise and I think Rob Pelinka and Magic Johnson are going to do great things. And, like you said, it made sense with my family already being in L.A.”
However, Crawford would go on to explain that the Lakers wanted to be patient and see how things elsewhere played out, and Crawford simply couldn’t wait:
“But after [the early talks], they started looking other places and I started looking at other teams and it kind of fizzled out a bit. They were a team I was really interested in early on, and they showed interest as well, but they wanted to be patient and see how some things played out. And, as you know, things can move really fast and I didn’t feel that I had the time to be able to wait for them.”
Ultimately, the Lakers’ patience paid off as, though they missed on bringing in Crawford, they held on to their money and were able to sign Caldwell-Pope who is undoubtedly a better fit for the roster.
Crawford is an excellent veteran who could have brought a lot to the team, but the Lakers had their plan and stuck to it. In the end, it worked out best for both sides.