AJC: Their Crawford conondrum

[Hawksquawk]

Can the Hawks keep Crawford smiling?

Just two weeks until training camp, blog people, and all is quiet on the Hawks front. And under the circumstances, “quiet” really means: “Jamal Crawford and the Hawks might be headed for a showdown.”

As everyone knows, Crawford wants a contract extension for what he believes to be his market value or, failing that, a trade. He’s pushing for an extension both because of the past (his Sixth Man of the Year season) and the future (the looming specter of a new CBA).

The Hawks have contemplated Crawford’s request for going on two months now. But they seem reluctant to offer him a long-term contract because of the past (long-term deals for Bibby and Marvin last summer and J.J. this summer) and the future (possible contract extension for Al).

That brings us to the present. The best-case scenario for the Hawks would be for Crawford to report to camp and put the extension talk on the backburner with promises to take care of him later, no hard …

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