Jamal Crawford has played 17 seasons in the NBA. He's been to the postseason seven times. But he's never won an NBA title.
So nobody could have blamed the 37-year-old if he decided to sign with the Warriors to Cavs this offseason after having his contract bought out by the Hawks.
Instead, the former Clippers guard, who was traded to Atlanta in a three-team deal earlier in July, has reportedly agreed to a two-year deal with the Timberwolves worth $8.9 million.
In a recent interview with The Star Tribune, Crawford admitted that LeBron James attempted to recruit him to Cleveland. Aside from neither team being able to offer enough money or guaranteed playing time, Crawford explained what appealed to him about Minnesota and why he didn't really want to go to either of the teams that have appeared in the last three NBA Finals.
"[The Timberwolves] showed they were serious, trying to get things done right away. I felt like the time is right. I felt like I could fit. At this point of my career, I could easily chase a championship. I'm not saying we won't compete, but it's not about that. I want to take the journey and go through the wars with these guys. The Cavs, they've been there. Those guys know what it's like to be in the Finals and win a championship. The Warriors, same deal. If I went there and let's say we happen to win, what's next? Sometimes it's more gratifying to help teams go from one point to another point," Crawford said.
"That's the challenge. That's what so fun about it. What if you went to the movies and knew how it ended when the movie started? It's exciting because nobody really knows what we can be," Crawford continued.
Crawford is joining a T'Wolves squad that has already added Jimmy Butler, Jeff Teague and Taj Gibson to a Andrew Wiggins, Karl-Anthony Towns and Gorgui Dieng.
