Crawford chooses Rip City

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

PORTLAND, Ore. -- Free-agent guard Jamal Crawford has decided to join the Portland Trail Blazers.

Crawford, who was reportedly considering Sacramento and the Blazers, announced his choice on Twitter, posting "Rip city!!!"

The Blazers made it official a few hours later on Thursday when they announced they had signed Crawford. The terms of the two-year deal were not released.

In order to make a deal with Crawford, the team used the NBA's new amnesty clause to waive all-star guard Brandon Roy, who announced his retirement last week because of ongoing knee problems.

An 11-year veteran, Crawford played for the Atlanta Hawks the last two seasons. For his career, he has averaged 15.2 points, 2.6 rebounds and 3.9 assists. He won the NBA's Sixth Man award in 2010.

Blazers guard Wesley Matthews said he spoke to Crawford on Wednesday night.

"I'm excited about it," Matthews said. "He wants to come and win and that's what we're about."

Crawford, a six-foot-five shooting guard, will help the Blazers deal with the absence of Roy and former Blazer Rudy Fernandez, who was traded away on draft night in June.

Matthews said he was unconcerned about potential competition for playing time.

"We can coexist at the same time, similar to what they did in Atlanta with Joe Johnson and him," Crawford said.

By using amnesty to waive Roy, the Blazers freed up salary cap space that allowed the team to use a mid-level exception on Crawford. Roy, who was under a max contract, was set to make $15 million this year.

A three-time all-star who has played all five of his NBA seasons in Portland, Roy had been dogged by pain for the past two years because he lacks cartilage between the bones in his knees.

He sat for stretches of last season because of soreness and had arthroscopic surgery on both knees last January. He returned to end the season with a career-low average of 12.2 points in 47 games.

Roy, a fan favourite whom many credit with turning around the team's once-tarnished "Jail Blazers" reputation, finished his career with averages of 19 points, 4.7 assists and 4.3 rebounds.

Coach Nate McMillan praised Roy and his proclivity for late-game heroics after practice on Thursday.

"The closer. That's how I look at him," McMillan said. "The closer has closed."

Crawford is close to Roy, a fellow Seattle native.