Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Why Jamal Crawford for Ben Gordon Works


Atlanta Hawks guard Jamal Crawford will request a trade from the Hawks if he’s not signed to an extension, according to an ESPN report by Chris Broussard.

Crawford, who won last year's Sixth Man of the Year award, was traded to the Hawks by the Golden State Warriors and has also played with the Chicago Bulls and New York Knicks.

Even though they added him last summer the Hawks were swept in the second round for a second time in a row.

If the Hawks aren’t willing to sign the 30-year-old scorer to an extension, maybe they’ll be interested in trading for Detroit Pistons guard Ben Gordon, who has three years left on his contract.



Gordon, 27, had a down year due to injuries, but is still a scoring threat when healthy. A Gordon-Crawford trade would benefit both parties.

The Pistons were nowhere near being playoff contenders after signing Gordon and Charlie Villanueva in 2009. They don't have enough pieces on that team to contend for a playoff spot.

The Pistons would probably love to erase the three years Gordon has left on his contract, with a player option for a fourth year. Gordon makes $10.8 million this year while Crawford makes $10.08 million.The Pistons won't be going to the playoffs in the span of Gordon's contract unless they acquire a very talented player.

By trading for Crawford, the Pistons would be renting another good guard coming in with an expiring contract which could lead to another trade that could land them some other pieces. Crawford could be very valuable to a contender not based in Atlanta.

If he isn't traded, the Pistons would owe a little over $35 million in salaries next summer, compared to $47 million if they keep Gordon. Tayshaun Prince will be coming off the books as well.

The Pistons are a team that needs to go into full rebuilding mode, which can't happen until Tayshaun Prince and Richard Hamilton are out. Hamilton makes $37.5 million over the next three seasons but only $9 million is guaranteed in the last year of the contract.

They've got some good young players to start with in Rodney Stuckey, Jonas Jerebko, Greg Monroe and Austin Daye. Maybe they can incorporate Villanueva as well. Shipping Gordon would speed up the progress.

If the Hawks are serious about contending for the next few years they would land Gordon. He’s three years younger than Crawford and would be 31-years-old when his contract expires, if he picks up his option.

He’d be a great back-up to Joe Johnson, who signed a six-year contract this summer worth over $123 million. He's not going anywhere, anytime soon.

Gordon is used to being a back-up. He has come off the bench for 239 out of 460 games in his career. In fact, he won the 2005 Sixth Man of the Year award as a rookie with the Chicago Bulls.

In the end, the switch makes sense to both teams in the short and long term.

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