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Cory Elfrink

Hawks Land Crawford

June 26, 2009 1:55pm CDT

The Atlanta Hawks robbed the Golden State Warriors blind on Thursday when they acquired guard Jamal Crawford in exchange for guards Acie Law and Speedy Claxton. No charges have been filed.

New Warriors GM Larry Riley was clearly desperate to get rid of Crawford and the $19.4 million he is owed over the next two seasons. The team even went as far as to bench him multiple times towards the end of last season and telling him straight up that they did not want him back. Regardless, Crawford was not in the mood to forfeit his contract. The benchings did not have so much to do with attitude or poor performance. Rather, the Warriors did not seem to have a need for him, especially at his price. (Of course, they then selected Stephen Curry in the draft, who is very similar to Crawford but three inches shorter).

In return, the Warriors accepted Speedless Claxton's dead body (ok, he's not dead) and lottery-bust Acie Law. Those two combined to play 575 minutes last season. Crawford logged 2,479 minutes, despite being limited by the Warriors staff to just 65 games.

The lopsided-ness of this trade cannot be understated. Crawford has averaged 17.8 points and 4.5 assists over the last five seasons while bouncing around on three different untalented teams. Yes, he's never made the playoffs, but that doesn't make him any less gifted. His defense is mediocre, but at 6-foot-6, this maturing 29-year-old has a ton to contribute to the Hawks. Meanwhile, they obtained him for less than spare parts. You have to think the Warriors could have done better than Law and Claxton.

Crawford's arrival, coupled with the selection of Jeff Teague with the No. 19 pick in the draft, may spell the end of the brief but mildly successful Mike Bibby-era in Atlanta. Bibby is an unrestricted free agent this offseason. It's not that the Hawks cannot afford Bibby, they are actually one of the most cap-free teams in the league this summer. But Crawford and Joe Johnson are clearly both starters. If they do decide to retain Bibby, that likely means Johnson would shift to small forward and the team would probably allow restricted free agent Marvin Williams to leave.

The Hawks have a number of moves to still make this summer, as they have a lot of cap space to burn. Those changes will go a long way in determining the fantasy values of Crawford and Johnson next season, but both players should retain similar value to what they held last season. From Crawford, I would expect averages of 17 points, 4.5 assists, three boards, 2.5 threes, and one steal on .420/.370/.880 shooting. Most of his value comes from three-pointers, where he could be a top-five producer. He will also have eligibility at both guard positions, making him roughly a top-35 guard option, assuming health.

As for Law and Claxton, avoid at all costs. The Warriors - "Where Amazing Happens".

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