Golden State Warriors: Jamal Crawford says why he didn’t choose Dubs
The Golden State Warriors were linked to veteran guard Jamal Crawford in free agency, but the two sides didn’t agree to a deal. Crawford explains why.
The Golden State Warriors weren’t going to be able to re-sign reserve guard Ian Clark. He had a breakout season on the NBA champs. He was in for a big payday.
While Clark hasn’t signed with anyone yet, the Warriors moved on pretty quickly. After re-signing Shaun Livingston, Bob Myers and his team looked to fill the off-guard spot. They were linked to veterans Nick Young and Jamal Crawford.
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Maneuvering a Crawford signing would have taken some patience and time because he was going to be traded to the Atlanta Hawks. Then Hawks would then have to buy him out in order for him to become a free agent. That eventually happened, but the Warriors didn’t wait for it to go down.
They went after the younger Young instead. They felt like he would be a better fit for them. More importantly, he signed for less than Crawford did with the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Crawford opened up on why he didn’t make an effort to go to Golden State or the Cleveland Cavaliers (via CSN Bay Area):
"“[The Timberwolves] showed they were serious, trying to get things done right away. I felt like the time is right. I felt like I could fit. At this point of my career, I could easily chase a championship. I’m not saying we won’t compete, but it’s not about that. I want to take the journey and go through the wars with these guys. The Cavs, they’ve been there. Those guys know what it’s like to be in the Finals and win a championship. The Warriors, same deal. If I went there and let’s say we happen to win, what’s next? Sometimes it’s more gratifying to help teams go from one point to another point,” Crawford said.“That’s the challenge. That’s what so fun about it. What if you went to the movies and knew how it ended when the movie started? It’s exciting because nobody really knows what we can be.”"
Crawford says he wants to help build something instead of just coming along for the ride. It’s very noble and it could very well be the truth. But that paycheck is also really nice, something neither the Warriors nor the Cavaliers could offer.
Golden State got a better deal with Young. They got someone younger and more effective. The former-Laker seems like he’d fit better with the team as well.
Crawford is still solid at this point in his career. But he’s not what the Warriors need. With all of the young talent in Minnesota, he could help start to build the next great championship team.