Los Angeles Lakers: Six potential free agent targets for depth
By Jason Reed
3. SG Jamal Crawford
Every great NBA contending team seemingly has a great sixth man. While the Golden State Warriors have somewhat broken this mold with a starting five consisting of four all-stars, having a great scorer off the bench is a huge asset for a team to have.
During the last 15 years, there has been no better sixth-man than Jamal Crawford. And while the 38-year-old Crawford may not be the same player he was when he won his three NBA Sixth-Man of the Year awards, he can still be a good scorer to bring in off of the bench when the Lakers need some three-point shooting.
Crawford likely would not be the sixth-man on the Lakers, that role would go to either Kyle Kuzma or Josh Hart. However, Crawford would still be a pivotal seventh or eighth man who the Lakers bring on for the starting shooting guard, whoever that may be, that can keep the Lakers in games.
Last season, Crawford averaged 10.3 points on 41.5 percent shooting in 20.7 minutes per game. His workload and overall production may have been down, however, he still shot at an efficient clip that mirrors the rest of his career.
Having stars ahead of him would allow the older Crawford to take a reduced role but still come in and knock down shots when needed. For a 38-year-old player, there isn’t a better fit than a potential contending team like the Los Angeles Lakers.