The battle for Los Angeles games next year are going to be amazing. And we could see those battles deep in the playoffs.
The Clippers addressed a key need Thursday by reaching a three-year agreement with Jamal Crawford, reports the Los Angeles Times. At the same time they reached a deal to bring back injured guard Chauncey Billups.Crawford, an unrestricted free agent who opted out of his $5.2 million contract with the Portland Trail Blazers, has been offered a spot by the Clippers. He is expected to sign a three-year, $15.7 million contract, according to the executives.
Billups, who played in just 20 games last season with the Clippers before suffering a season-ending left Achilles tendon surgery, will sign a one-year deal that could be worth up to $4.3 million if he reaches bonuses, the executives said.
The Clippers went into this season wanting to address a couple of needs, one being a two guard who could provide scoring. Crawford is certainly that. The former Sixth Man of the Year can light it up — even though he stepped back last year and shot 38.4 percent overall and 30 percent from three. He’ll need to do better next season.
(The other need was depth along the front line, which trading for Lamar Odom got them.)
But Crawford can create his own shot and that is something the Clippers sorely needed in the playoffs. When the Spurs walled off Chris Paul the rest of the Clippers struggled to get good looks. Crawford is a dynamic second option.
CP3 had said he wanted the Clippers to bring back Billups and that is reason enough to sign him — Paul becomes a free agent next summer and the Clippers need to do anything to keep him. When healthy Billups also brought calmness to the Clippers young offense that they missed in the postseason.