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Blazers: Five Teams That Could Poach Crabbe

By Steven Dewald

Dec 30, 2015; Portland, OR, USA; Portland Trail Blazers forward Allen Crabbe (23) brings the ball up-court against the Denver Nuggets at Moda Center at the Rose Quarter. Mandatory Credit: Jaime Valdez-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 30, 2015; Portland, OR, USA; Portland Trail Blazers forward Allen Crabbe (23) brings the ball up-court against the Denver Nuggets at Moda Center at the Rose Quarter. Mandatory Credit: Jaime Valdez-USA TODAY Sports /
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Apr 17, 2016; Miami, FL, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard Courtney Lee (left) stands next to Hornets guard Kemba Walker (right) during the first half against the Miami Heat in game one of the first round of the NBA Playoffs at American Airlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 17, 2016; Miami, FL, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard Courtney Lee (left) stands next to Hornets guard Kemba Walker (right) during the first half against the Miami Heat in game one of the first round of the NBA Playoffs at American Airlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports /

Charlotte Hornets

Maximum Cap Space: $39.8

Current Shooting Guards: Courtney Lee, Jeremy Lamb, Aaron Harrison

The Hornets give Crabbe the best shot to return to the playoffs among the teams on this list. Adding a player who can shoot and play defense will be imperative for a Charlotte team that starts Kemba Walker at point guard. While Walker is a fine offensive player, he leaves a lot to be desired on the defensive side of the ball. Crabbe is used to this sort of situation after playing next to Damian Lillard and McCollum.

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Charlotte has a lot of big questions heading into the offseason. Al Jefferson, Jeremy Lin (player option), Marvin Williams, Courtney Lee, and Nic Batum are all headed to free agency. It appears that their number one focus will be retaining Batum. Even with his return, it would still leave an opening at shooting guard. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist will likely return to the lineup, but he does very little to help on the offensive end.

Assuming that the Hornets let some of their higher priced players walk, they will have enough money to give Batum a max level contract and sign Crabbe to a deal that is north of 10 million dollars. This would leave some massive holes in their rotation; but building around Batum, Crabbe, and MKG would be deadly going forward.

Next: Number Three