NBA free agents JR Smith, Jamal Crawford available to be signed up on the league's return

NBA free agents like JR Smith, Jamal Crawford and DeMarcus Cousins could make their return this July. All players who were previously under NBA or G League contracts are expected to be available to sign with teams for the NBA return in July. The NBA is currently scheduled to resume their season on July 30 or 31 at the Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. 

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NBA free agents like JR Smith, Jamal Crawford and DeMarcus Cousins can make their NBA return 

Players who have signed an NBA/G League deal this year or a previous year are expected to be available to sign in restarted season -- making Jamal Crawford or JR Smith eligible, sources tell @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium. https://t.co/v6Ntr4pb2t

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania)

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As per The Athletic and Stadium's Shams Charania, teams are allowed up to 17 players on their rosters. This will include two-way players as well. This means that JR Smith, Cousins and Crawford could sign with any team and play for the rest of the season. 

While the Los Angeles Lakers were reported to being interested in Smith, the team ended up signing Dion Waiters days before the NBA season was suspended on March 11 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Cousins, on the other hand, had signed with the Lakers last season but could not play due to his torn ACL which made him miss the entire season. Cousins was waived in February. While Cousins could be signed by a team, he could wait for his injury to heal completely by the NBA 2020-21 season.

Jamal Crawford last played for the Phoenix Suns in 2018-19. He averaged 7.9 points and 3.6 assists in 64 games while shooting 39.7% from the field, 33.2% from beyond the arc and 84.5% from the free-throw line. Smith, on the other hand, played only 11 games for the Cleveland Cavaliers before being waived as the team did not find him a trade partner. As per reports, both Crawford and Smith could end up playing for the Lakers. The league was supposed to restart games on July 31. However, Adrian Wojnarowski reported that the NBA is aiming to come back on July 30 instead. 

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The NBA is targeting a slightly earlier date for the restart of the season in Orlando, sources tell ESPN: July 30.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn)

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