June 29, 2018

Allen Crabbe
SG/SF - 6’6, 215lbs - 26 years old - 5 years of experience

Working in Crabbe’s favour is that he is a shooter in a league permanently on the lookout for them. A wing with decent-enough size who can always get them away, Crabbe is streakier than many shooters, but the upside of that is occasionally game-winning performances from outside. Even if he only has one plus-NBA skill, it is one he won’t now lose.

Also working in Crabbe’s favour is the minimal cost paid to acquire him. Crabbe was acquired only for the unwanted contract of Andrew Nicholson (out of the league and among the underrated terrible contracts of the last decade), and considering the Nets had no designs for their cap space other than taking on future assets and/or reclamations, it was essentially a free gift of a player.

Counting against Crabbe is the cost going forward. For Crabbe to have any trade value going forward, he needs to perform at a higher level much closer in value to that large contract, and considering the limited improvements throughout his NBA career to date, that does not look likely. Crabbe is still not active enough off the ball, still does little with it, is too passive at times, needs more motion, and makes no significant impact defensively. He may have been essentially free to acquire, but he will not be to rehome.

Also counting against Crabbe is the fact that Joe Harris is just as good, if not slightly better, and is available for much less. More aggressive, more consistent, better defensively and less prone to long periods of just standing there, Harris stood out this year, for only the minimum salary. Crabbe’s contract might cost Harris his spot. But Crabbe’s contract is no virtue, and as the guard depth chart fills up with Jeremy Lin’s return, his presence is more awkward than beneficial. At a time when teams around the league are feeling the cap space pinch due to the 2016 overspend and would be more prepared than before to give up assets in order to move bad deals, the Nets spent a big chunk of their potential to help with that on Crabbe’s bench-player-for-All-Star-price play. Can’t win them all, but only Crabbe playing better can remedy this.

Player Plan: Two years at $18.5 million per annum remaining, the last year of which is a player option it should be assumed he will exercise. Will have to ride out for now; he will become more desirable in trade as the contract gets shorter. That said, he could still be used in deals to acquire other enormous contracts around; Crabbe’s production is flawed, but others have worse value, so market accordingly.

Read full article

June 29, 2017

Allen Crabbe
SG, 6’6, 210lbs, 25 years old, 4 years of experience

In the first year of his enormous, tax-inducing contract, Crabbe needed to step up. He didn’t. The already-good three-point shooting improved, yet the usage rate went down to a low 14.7%, strikingly low when it is considered that Crabbe is in the game to score. He is not at all a defender, on or off the ball, and nor is he a playmaker for others. When he is on the court, Crabbe needs to get shots up. He didn’t. And then he got hurt. $18.5 million per year is far too much money to merely stand in the corner and drive the occasional close-out. Crabbe needs to get the ball, he needs to want it, and he needs to contribute more elsewhere as well.

Player Plan: Three years and circa. $56.3 million remaining. Young enough to make some strides forwards, but needs to make several to come close to earning that amount. Should anyone happen to want that deal, by all means let them.

Read full article