Family. Friends. Money. Legacy. Happiness.

It’s not everyday that so many of life’s most important things stand to be impacted by one decision, but, that’s exactly where Jamal Crawford finds himself.

Less than a week from the official beginning of free agency, Crawford is excited, but understandably anxious, to be juggling all of those things as he gets ready to reap the rewards from a massive influx of money into the NBA.

“The last time I was a free agent, the year before was a lockout season and teams were still acting cautiously with their finances,” Crawford said in a phone interview Monday. “This year, with so many teams having cap space and the players available, I think it’s a great time to be a free agent.”

Crawford is coming off a four-year, $21 million deal with the Clippers in which he won a pair of Sixth Man of the Year Awards. In his time with the team he, made 546 3-point shots, the second most in franchise history, while averaging 16.2 points per game, almost exclusively off the bench.

And, he’s in line for a raise.

With the salary cap set to rise to a record $94 million, teams around the league are flush with cash. Crawford’s annual salary could more than double this summer due to the cap jump.

The 53-win Clippers have his “Bird rights,” a provision that allows teams to go over the cap to sign their own players, a mechanism they’ll almost certainly need because of their salary cap situation.

Doc Rivers, the Clippers’ president of basketball operations and coach, has said he hopes to re-sign Crawford. But while Crawford’s had success in Los Angeles, and it’s his first choice, he is no lock to stay.

Crawford, who does have a meeting scheduled with the Clippers, is also drawing interest from a number of teams in search of a scoring guard. Crawford is expected to receive interest from the New York Knicks, the Miami Heat, the Toronto Raptors, the Dallas Mavericks, the Orlando Magic and the Brooklyn Nets in addition to the Clippers.

“I definitely have to keep an open mind and see what’s out there,” Crawford said. “That’s why you’re in this position. My preference, like I’ve said from the get go, is to go back to the Clippers. But, I’m definitely very, very open-minded about the whole free-agency process.”

This is where the juggling comes in.

Crawford can stay in Los Angeles, make the Clippers the place he’s played the bulk of his career, playing for an owner and coach with whom he has strong relationships. He could move back to New York and Madison Square Garden, his favorite place to play. He could take on a bigger leadership role on a young team or try to help a contender get over the hump.

It’s all in play.

“It doesn’t have to be a team that’s a contender. I don’t want to go to a team that’s only won a few amount of games, but it doesn’t have to be a contender,” he said. “At the end of the day, only one team wins. You want to put yourself in the best position to try and win.”

Crawford, who turned 36 in March, said he doesn’t think his age will limit his options on the free-agent market.

“I’ve been blessed enough where all the rules that come with age don’t apply to me,” he said. “People were saying I was old at 32. Look at what I’ve done the past four years.

“… I’m so excited about this year. It’ll be one of my best years; I’m sure of it.”

Contact the writer: dwoike@ocregister.com