Warriors players are pushing for Jamal Crawford

The Golden State Warriors are not going to make a big splash in free agency, but Jamal Crawford would be a nice fit.

With their core four of Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson together for at least one more year, the Golden State Warriors don’t have a lot of need or ability to make a big move in free agency. But according to Marcus Thompson of The Athletic, Green, Durant and Curry are pushing the front office to pursue Jamal Crawford.

Crawford spent last season with the Minnesota Timberwolves, averaging 10.3 points and 2.3 assists per game (33.1 percent from beyond the arc) over 80 games off the bench. He lamented a lack of playing time at one point, so it was not surprising when he declined his $4.5 million option for next season well in advance of having to.

Crawford has become the epitome of an offensive gunner off the bench. He has won the Sixth Man of the Year Award three times (2010, 2014 and 2016), and after a couple years of downturn he averaged 16.2 shot attempts per-36 minutes last year. He contributes nothing defensively, categorically (0.6 combined steals and blocks per game last year) or via the eye test, though advanced data is at least not in negative territory as to his defensive ability (0.3 Defensive Wins Shares last year).

Golden State had Nick Young in something of a shoot-first, ask questions later role last year. In 80 regular season games (eight starts), he averaged just 7.3 points per game on 37.7 percent shooting from three-point range (17.4 minutes per game). In the playoffs his role practically disappeared (10.3 minutes per game), and “Swaggy P” barely topped 30 percent from the floor and converted just 29.8 percent from beyond the arc.

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Golden State’s level of interest in Crawford is at best unclear. But from their end he is an easy upgrade over Young for the same role, and there’s no better place for the 38-year old to chase a ring.