As the Nets prepare for the NBA’s restart in Orlando at the end of the month, they’ve reportedly added a veteran shooter.
Per Shams Charania of The Athletic, 40-year-old Jamal Crawford has signed a deal with the Nets.
Crawford, a 19-year NBA veteran, is a three-time Sixth Man of the Year award winner. He’s played for eight teams over the span of his career, including a four-plus season stretch with the Knicks from 2004-2008.
For his career, Crawford has averaged 14.6 points per game while shooting 34.8 percent from beyond the arc, averaging 29.4 minutes per game.
He last played with the Phoenix Suns in 2018-19, when he averaged 7.9 points and shot 33.2 percent from beyond the arc in 18.9 minutes per game off the bench.
The Nets needed to add more depth, specifically in the backcourt, as they’ve had four players opt out of playing in the Orlando bubble over coronavirus concerns. Taurean Prince, Spencer Dinwiddie, and DeAndre Jordan all tested positive for the virus and aren’t traveling with the team, while forward Wilson Chandler has also opted out of playing.
The Nets, of course, will also be without Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant as they recover from their respective injuries, as well as forward Nic Claxton, who recently had shoulder surgery.