Wizards deal Crawford to Celtics for scraps
The Washington Wizards have traded guard Jordan Crawford to the Boston Celtics, a possibility we addressed here earlier today.
UPDATE: Per Yahoo! Sports, the Wizards have traded Crawford to the Celtics in exchange for Leandro Barbosa and his expiring contract.
UPDATE: Per Yahoo! Sports, the Wizards also received C Jason Collins in the deal.
I'm not sure Collins adds much for the Wizards. His best days are well behind him, though perhaps he can mentor big men like Jan Vesely and Kevin Seraphin. I don't see his value extending much beyond that, however. I believe Collins has twice as many fouls [74] committed as points scored [37]. So, that's pretty much what you're getting with him.
Like Barbosa, Collins is playing for the $850,000 veteran league minimum so the Wiz could buy him out and let him go to a contender. I doubt it makes much of a difference to the team either way.
Why would the Celtics trade Barbosa? Well, he suffered an ACL injury in his right knee earlier this month and isn't going to be playing basketball any time soon so he can't help them on their playoff run. His absence leaves a hole in their backcourt that they needed to fill with another shooter and if there is one thing Jordan Crawford likes to do is shoot. [Even when he shouldn't be shooting.]
The Celtics also want to avoid paying the luxury tax and there was speculation that they might waive Barbosa outright in order to avoid that. Basically, they got Crawford for nothing. Good for Celtics GM Danny Ainge.
Why would the Wizards do this? I'm not sure. Crawford is a shot-jacker who has been in Head Coach Randy Wittman's doghouse for almost a month and the team seems capable of winning some games without him. On the other hand, Crawford is young, cheap, still on his rookie contract and capable of putting up a lot of points from time to time. The Wizards just gave him away for pretty much nothing. Why would they do that?
I don't know. The deal reduces Washington's cap number by less than $2.2 million next year, a negligible sum. Crawford has not become a team cancer, despite his non-playing status for most of February. He was unhappy with having no role on the team, but that's understandable. I regard Crawford as a fairly limited player, but even limited players have value and the Wizards really didn't get any value for him.
I doubt this is what GM Ernie Grunfeld intended, but it feels like a gigantic "SCREW YOU!" to all those Wizards fans [roughly 100 percent] who have wanted him fired for years. Crawford is young and talented and might have worked his way out of Wittman's doghouse long enough to make a contribution -- or at least long enough for the team to deal him for something useful in the offseason or on Draft Night.
The Wizards essentially gave Crawford away. If they're in such a giving mood, the team ought to consider giving tickets away. Only problem is, how many people would want them?
For my further reaction to this trade, see THIS & THIS on Twitter.
