Peachtree Hoops: Hawks Will Attempt To Re-Sign Jamal Crawford This Off-Season

[Hawksquawk]

After showing little public interest in offering Jamal Crawford an extension, it now appears that the Hawks will be willing to negotiate once the season is over and a new CBA is in place.

Sund also said that after not trading

Jamal Crawford’s

expiring contract the

Hawks

would attempt to re-sign him: "I’ve said from Day One I’m a big fan of Jamal. Once we figure out what the new [CBA] rules are we will do everything in our power to re-sign him."

I have maintained that it was a foregone conclusion that Jamal would walk at the end of the season. I had already earmarked Jordan Crawford as Jamal's likely replacement. Well Jordan is no longer with the team and that option no longer is available and now it at least on the surface appears that the Hawks would explore the option of bringing Jamal back. Of course it all depends on the price and at best that is uncertain.

There will be a new CBA next season (if there is a next season) and it is tough to speculate just what the landscape might look like. Atlanta has a lot of salary committed to next season already and the new collective bargaining agreement could push player salaries down but it might also push the cap down which really won't give a team like the Hawks any relief.

A couple of theories here. Perhaps Atlanta is hoping that Jamal will give them a discount. After all he is the one that has expressed his desire to stay in Atlanta. This probably isn't very likely considering that Jamal wanted an extension under the current CBA and probably won't be doing Atlanta any favors under the new agreement this off-season.

Another thought that comes to mind is that Atlanta may be looking to clear some salary during the off-season by shopping players like Marvin Williams and Zaza Pachulia. There have been reports of Marvin being shopped at different points this season and Zaza was held out of the game in Phoenix because he was close to being traded. One might be able to go a step further and say that it is likely only Joe Johnson and Al Horford would be deemed untouchable by the Hawks front office. Perhaps only Horford is truly deserving of that mantle.

Unless something changes drastically, I don't think it is likely that Jamal Crawford will be back in an Atlanta uniform next season. Sure the Hawks may give him an offer but this time they will be bidding against other teams. That is of course unless they are suddenly willing to go into the luxury tax which to this point they have resisted at every opportunity.

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