The NBA trade rumors were moving quite steadily on Wednesday afternoon, indicating that a deal involving three teams was very close to being done. That apparently isn't the case, however, as Minnesota Timberwolves target Jamal Crawford will be playing for the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday night.
The three-team trade discussed involves the Wolves sending Michael Beasley to the Los Angeles Lakers, Crawford being sent to the Timberwolves and Portland receiving Steve Blake from the Lakers. Trail Blazers beat writer Joe Freeman has put a wet blanket on that deal for the rest of Wednesday night, however.
Coach Mac said Crawford will be in uniform and will play tonight vs Knicks. Said management has not told him to hold Crawford out.
— Joe Freeman (@BlazerFreeman) March 14, 2012
Typically players are held out of games if they're close to being traded so the deal isn't blocked by an injury that evening. The Blazers are either not worried about that possibility or they're not as close to the rumored deal as it seemed earlier in the day.
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