Golden State Warriors: Making the case to sign Jamal Crawford
By Luis Lopez
The Golden State Warriors have thrived on veteran leadership in the past so would Jamal Crawford help continue that system for the team’s locker room?
When the Golden State Warriors made a surprising move to ship veteran guard Andre Igoudala to the Memphis Grizzlies, it was part of a series of moves that began to create serious change throughout their roster.
The Warriors also waived fellow veteran guard Shaun Livingston this offseason — a move that many saw coming, but also left a major void for a Golden State team that had found success in part due to such a steady veteran presence.
Perhaps they feel as though it’s time for guard Stephen Curry to take on an even bigger leadership role with the team, as the move now leaves Curry as the team’s oldest player at the age of 31.
Curry is clearly an established leader in the Warriors locker room, and rightfully so, as his two league MVP awards and 10 years of experience are clear leader material.
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However, seeing a Warriors roster without Iguodala and Livingston will certainly take some getting used to. And perhaps general manager Bob Myers will look to find someone who can play the same role that those two played.
When looking at the list of available free agents there is one player who fits the requirements to the role for a tee. Guard Jamal Crawford would make a perfect fit inside Golden State’s locker room.
Not only does he have 19 years of experience to draw from, but he also brings the same presence for the roster that Iguodala and Livingston brought.
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While there is no way to truly replace what that duo brought to the Warriors, bringing in someone who has worn a Golden State uniform before is the type of player you want on a roster that is experiencing this much turnover.
Part of Crawford’s role would also include being a mentor to younger players on the roster, such as newly acquired guard D’Angelo Russell and the Warriors’ first-round draft pick Jordan Poole.
Russell has established himself as a bright young star already, but to see him and Poole be mentored by someone with as much prowess as Crawford would be a great contribution toward their career developments.
The move would be an inexpensive investment that would pay major dividends for the Warriors.
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While Crawford won’t necessarily bring the same offensive production that Iguodala and Livingston did, having the ability to bring in someone who can be relied on as a true leader on the roster is always a great thing to have.
The Warriors have thrived with players like Crawford in the past, such as when forward David West was on the team. An older player who doesn’t necessarily need to perform exceptionally on the court, but still provide a pedigree of work ethic that other players see and try to emulate.
Of course, the Warriors would need to do a bit of cap manipulation to make such a move happen. Since the team is currently hard-capped, they would need to create some cap space in order to sign Crawford.
This could come by releasing Alfonzo McKinnie is the only player signed to a non-guaranteed contract. More likely, however, they could free up some cap space in a trade — perhaps a player like Omari Spellman could drum up some interest.
Crawford would at least give the team some extra experienced depth on the wing, something the Warriors are desperately in need of.
For Bob Myers, there has to at least be a mentality of “why not?” when it comes to the thought of this potential signing. After all, when the Warriors open up their brand new Chase Center in October, a new era of Warriors basketball will begin.
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Potentially it will be an era that tries to follow the same concepts from the past few seasons and Crawford is just the player to make that happen.