Five players the Suns should let walk in free agency
By Adam Noel
Jamal Crawford
Who could have possibly thought “J Crossover” would find himself in Phoenix in his 19th season in the league.
A late add in 2018 free agency, Crawford turned into a key piece of the Suns’ bench during the 2018-19 season. That resulted in the 39-year-old playing in 64 games for Phoenix then averaging 7.9 points per game.
While Crawford may be done with his 20 points per game years in the NBA, there were times where he showed some much-needed sparks from the bench.
One occasion in particular was on April 9th, when Crawford erupted for 51 points, setting two NBA records in a 120-109 loss to the Dallas Mavericks. Those marks were for the oldest player to score over 50 and the most points by a player not in the starting lineup.
And yes, Crawford also set a career-high 14 assists in a December game against the New York Knicks.
But do those moments outweigh the value Crawford can bring to the team?
In a long-term glance, no they don’t. The Suns desperately need shooters to take the burden off of Booker, but this can be solely on bringing back a veteran guard.
Next season, Crawford will turn 40 and there stands the chance he continues his decline as a player as most do when reaching their late-30s.
Should Phoenix want to bring back Crawford, it should come in the form of a veteran’s minimum deal for one season. That way it won’t hurt the team’s cap, but gives the team a player on the bench that can shoot the deep ball, while adding some solid defense in spurts.