Crawford agrees to one-year deal with Trail Blazers

Jamal Crawford has decided to sign a one-year, $5 million deal with Portland, according to sources close to the free-agent guard. The deal would include a player option for a second year worth approximately $5 million.

The 11-year veteran topped the list of available perimeter scorers, and his list of possible destinations was shortened to Portland, Sacramento and New York on Tuesday. He also considered Indiana and Minnesota in the process, but instead chose to head for his home region in the Northwest and fill the void created by the recent retirement of Blazers guard Brandon Roy due to chronic knee injuries.

In order to give Crawford the $5 million deal, two sources confirmed the Blazers will use their amnesty clause on Roy.

Crawford, who made $10 million last season with the Hawks, only wanted a one-year deal so that he could take a second shot at free agency next summer. Sources said he was offered a one-year, $6.5 deal to join the Kings, but declined in part because of the abundance of high-scoring wing players (Tyreke Evans, Marcus Thornton, Jimmer Fredette, John Salmons) and the fact that they've missed the playoffs for five straight seasons.

The Knicks saw Crawford as the sort of potent piece that could elevate them to championship-caliber status, but they could only offer $2.5 million and Crawford had concerns about setting his market value too low heading into next year. New York was expected to turn its attention to fourth-year forward Shawne Williams, but he reportedly agreed to join the Nets.