Pacific Notes: Babb, Crawford, Morris, Cauley-Stein

The Warriors intend to keep Chris Babb and evaluate him in training camp, according to Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. The 6’5″ guard, who spent most of last season with the Celtics’ D-League affiliate in Maine, was acquired in the July 27th deal that sent David Lee to Boston. Babb signed a multi-year deal with the Celtics in April, and Washburn writes that the organization liked the effort he gave. Babb, who participated in the D-League All-Star Game, was recalled in April but didn’t appear in any games with the Celtics. He played 14 games with the team during the 2013/14 season, averaging 1.6 points.

There’s more news from the Pacific Division:

  • The Clippers‘ best move may be to trade Jamal Crawford for a big man to back up DeAndre Jordan, writes Jesse Blancarte of Basketball Insiders. Crawford, who will make $5.675MM this season in the final year of his contract, has been the subject of trade rumors, although coach Doc Rivers said recently that he is unlikely to be dealt. Blancarte contends that Cole Aldrich doesn’t give the Clippers enough insurance off the bench and thinks the team should combine Crawford’s contract with C.J. Wilcox‘s and pursue another frontcourt player like the Heat’s Chris Andersen or Josh McRoberts, the Blazers’ Chris Kaman, the Bulls’ Taj Gibson or the SunsMarkieff Morris.
  • Despite repeated trade demands, Morris will likely remain in Phoenix until at least Christmas, according to Doug Smith of The Toronto Star. In his weekly mailbag column, Smith also says native Canadian Steve Nash is unlikely to ever join the Raptors organization. The columnist points out that Nash, who is rumored to be in line for a part-time player development consultant position with the Warriors, is pretty established in Southern California.
  • Despite his “raw” offensive skills, Willie Cauley-Stein is rated as the Kings‘ best offseason addition by Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders. In the site’s season preview for Sacramento, Pincus says the rookie center out of Kentucky can became an important part of the Kings’ lineup if he reaches his defensive potential.
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