Former NBL champion and Tasmania JackJumpers alumnus Jordon Crawford has revealed how close he came to returning to the club for the 2026-27 season, with the veteran guard admitting he would have “loved” the opportunity to head back to a place he called home for two years.
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Speaking to Fox Sports Australia, Crawford said the JackJumpers reached out to gauge his availability as they continue building a roster capable of contending for another championship. For a club looking to add proven winners, interest in a former title-winning import was a natural move. Crawford was also keen, but he revealed the timing was off having already signed with a new team in Türkiye.
“They reached out to me if I would be interested. I said ‘absolutely’,” Crawford said.
“Would love to come back. But they came to me a little late.”
The 35-year-old played 65 games across two seasons in Tasmania before departing at the end of the 2024-25 campaign. During his time with the JackJumpers, he averaged 16.1 points, 2.3 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game, becoming a fan favourite and an important part of the club’s success.
Since leaving the NBL, Crawford has continued his career in Türkiye. He helped Esenler Erokspor secure promotion from the Turkish Basketball League (TBL), the country’s second division, during the 2024-25 season.
Following promotion, Crawford re-signed with the club for its first season in Türkiye’s top-flight Basketball Super League (BSL), where he averaged 14.7 points, 1.8 rebounds and 5.6 assists per game. Erokspor scraped into eighth place before eventually being eliminated in the playoffs.
Crawford later became a free agent, but by the time Tasmania made contact, he had already committed to his next opportunity, signing with Çayirova Municipality after the newly promoted club finished first in the TBL and earned its own place in the BSL.
It is understood the club did consider Crawford, but is now considering other options.
Despite the timing not aligning, the prospect of returning to Tasmania clearly resonated with the veteran guard.
“I smiled so big once I heard from them [Tasmania] when I woke up! I was to excited to come back home,” he said.
Crawford remains a respected figure within the NBL landscape and a proven offensive weapon capable of impacting games at a high level.
For Tasmania fans, the idea of a Crawford return will remain one of the off-season’s intriguing “what ifs”.