The Brooklyn Nets made a solid free agent signing this week to add depth with veteran former Chicago Bulls point guard Jamal Crawford.
Yet another former member of the Chicago Bulls that was a significant name remaining on the free agent market was picked up ahead of the NBA’s season restart set for later this month. This time it was the veteran spark plug former Bulls point guard Jamal Crawford, who was picked up by the Brooklyn Nets for once the hiatus is lifted. After signing with the Nets, Crawford might be getting his final shot in the NBA playoffs, depending on whether he retires ahead of the 2020-21 season.
The NBA season is set to resume with games tipping off on July 30 at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, FL. But that restart will only include 22 teams, which means the Bulls are excluded. They finished up the season prior to the hiatus with a record of 22-43 through their first 65 games.
Meanwhile, Crawford will be joining a Nets team that boasts a record of 30-34. The Nets do currently sit in the playoff picture in the Eastern Conference, but they aren’t set to get an easy first round matchup by any means at this moment. There wasn’t much hope that the Nets were going to make a deep playoff run unless the star duo of point guard Kyrie Irving and forward Kevin Durant were set to return from various injury setbacks. But it looks as if Kyrie and KD will be missing the remainder of the season.
This will still be a good opportunity to see what Crawford can still do as a microwave scoring spark plug off the bench behind fellow former Bulls guard Spencer Dinwiddie. This Nets team has a knack of making something out of nothing in the last couple of years.
The last team that Crawford played for was the Phoenix Suns, during the 2018-19 season. He still scored more than 50 points off the bench in his final game with the Suns. He should still be a more than competent scoring presence off the bench for the Nets. He’s also still one of the better veteran voices that could be found in free agency ahead of the restart.
As the season moves closer to restarting, the free agent market will become thinner and thinner. One other name to watch among former Bulls players that could be signed before the season’s restart is power forward Pau Gasol.