Allen Crabbe will be a highly coveted player once free agency begins on July 1st. The Portland Trail Blazers small forward is one of a few talented wing options in this year’s class. Although he is somewhat unproven, he has shown potential as a future 3-and-D player. In this year’s rising cap market, that is enough for a huge payday.
And it appears Crabbe is already receiving interest from around the league.
The 76ers, Nets and Kings are among the teams interested in Portland restricted free agent Allen Crabbe, sources say.
— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) June 29, 2016
Crabbe is a restricted free agent this summer so the Blazers can match any offer for the forward. Last year’s coming out party (Crabbe averaged 10.3 points per game and shot over 39% from behind the arc) may force Portland to keep the fourth-year player. In fact, ESPN’s Zach Lowe recently stated that he believes Portland will match any offer for him.
But that will be difficult to do. The Sixers and Nets have plenty of cap space to splurge on restricted free agents. The Kings have a need for wing players and can offer the opportunity to play next to DeMarcus Cousins.
Those teams will likely not be the only ones clamoring for Crabbe’s services, especially after Kevin Durant finally makes his decision. The high demand for a player like Crabbe, even if he is unproven, will likely drive up the price for the free agent. Some estimates have him making upwards of $17M per season, a shocking number until you realize the cap environment.
Allen Crabbe seems like the perfect candidate to be the player that most fans will think is overpaid. But in this market, it is inevitable that he will get plenty of interest and a payday to show for it.
