Clippers make guard moves

Clippers Making Moves
ESPN Los Angeles Arash Markazi on the Clippers bringing back Chauncey Billups and adding Jamal Crawford.

The Los Angeles Clippers are passing on Ray Allen but will still bolster their backcourt by re-signing Chauncey Billups and adding Jamal Crawford.

Billups, who played 20 games with the Clippers last season before injuring his Achilles' heel, will get a one-year deal, sources told ESPN The Magazine's Chris Broussard. The Los Angeles Times, which first reported the moves, reported the contract is worth up to $4.3 million.

Crawford, who opted out of the last year of his deal with the Trail Blazers, will receive a multiyear contract. A source told Broussard he will get a four-year deal for between $21 million and $25 million. The Times reported he will get a three-year deal for $15.7 million.

The Clippers have been looking for a shooting guard to pair with point guard Chris Paul. Billups played out of position there at the beginning of last season and was successful. When he went down, another point guard, Mo Williams, played minutes at shooting guard.

Paul had been recruiting Allen, who is scheduled to visit the Heat Thursday and who also is a candidate to return to Boston. The Clippers canceled their scheduled Friday visit with Allen, who is the NBA's all-time leader in 3-pointers made.

Crawford, who has come off the bench for much of his career, provides a traditional shooting guard for the Clippers, while Billups gives the team options at both backcourt spots.

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