NBA Rumors: Los Angeles Clipper Shopping Jamal Crawford

By Cheri Cheng - 20 Jun '15 10:33AM

The Los Angeles Clippers have already started making moves for next season. The Clippers, who have just traded Matt Barnes and Spencer Hawes for Charlotte Hornets' Lance Stephenson, are reportedly shopping Jamal Crawford.

ESPNLosAngeles.com's Arash Markazi wrote:

"The Clippers are also exploring trade options for Jamal Crawford, according to sources, and one possibility is trading Crawford and C.J. Wilcox, the team's 2014 first round pick, to the Denver Nuggets for Wilson Chandler. The Clippers inquired about Chandler last season but nothing materialized."

Crawford averaged 15.8 points per game this season. Aside from potentially trading Crawford, the Clippers are exploring several other options, one of which includes getting Paul Pierce.

"One of the options the Clippers are exploring, according to sources, is Paul Pierce, who could sign a mini-midlevel exception of $3.37 million for up to three years if he declines his $5.5 million player option with Washington [Wizards]," Markazi wrote.

NBA Insider Alex Kennedy also believes that head coach Doc Rivers had Pierce in mind when he decided to take on the temperamental but talented young player, Stephenson. Kennedy tweeted, "With the Clippers trading away Matt Barnes in the Lance Stephenson deal, it makes me wonder if Doc Rivers knows that Paul Pierce is coming."

Rivers, who coached Pierce in Boston, stated that Stephenson will most likely be coming off of the bench.

"I like that [Stephenson] can play multiple positions -- really 2, 3 and 1 -- because he's a terrific passer," Rivers told The Beast 980. "I don't know if I made the trade for him to be a starter, per se, I look at him really more to be a utility player that can come in and play literally three different positions for us. When you look at us, we needed toughness and more athleticism and we get that."

He added, "Obviously the contract part of it was terrific for us," Rivers said. "If Lance works out great, and it is a gamble of sorts, then we have the ability to sign him. If he doesn't, it's a one-year deal."

The 2015 NBA draft takes place on June 25.