Jamal Crawford to Sign One-Year Deal With Portland Trail Blazers

Jamal Crawford was a wanted man this past week—Sacramento, New York and Portland were all reportedly courting him—and it appears he’ll be suiting up in Rip City this coming season. SI has the scoop: “Jamal Crawford has decided to sign a one-year, $5 million deal with Portland, according to sources close to the free-agent guard. But the deal is not yet finalized. The 11-year veteran topped the list of available perimeter scorers, and his list of possible destinations was shortened to Portland, Sacramento and New York on Tuesday. He also considered Indiana and Minnesota in the process, but instead chose to head for his home region in the Northwest and fill the void created by the recent retirement of Blazers guard Brandon Roy due to chronic knee injuries. But in order to give Crawford the $5 million deal, the Trail Blazers — who are a luxury tax-paying team and, thus, have only a mid-level exception that starts at $3 million — have two options: They can either use the amnesty clause on Roy’s contract before the deadline on Friday and then use the mid-level exception, or they can complete the process on a disabled player exception for Roy. But the latter option is often not a quick one, and indications are strong that Portland will take the amnesty route. Crawford, who made $10 million last season with the Hawks, only wanted a one-year deal so that he could take a second shot at free agency next summer.”