Jamal Crawford has officially signed with New Jersey-based agent Andy Miller.

Crawford prefers returning to the New York area if he does not re-sign with the Atlanta Hawks, according to a source.

Crawford would almost certainly need to be acquired by the Knicks in a sign-and-trade, though their first choice is to save assets and cap space to pursue Chris Paul or Dwight Howard.

The Nets would appear to be the better fit for Crawford, a team that has lacked offensive weapons.

The sale of the Hawks to Alex Meruelo have fallen through.

The agreement between Meruelo and current Hawks owner Atlanta Spirit Group, signed in early August and contingent on NBA approval, was terminated by mutual agreement Friday.

The Spirit says its current plan is to hold on to the franchise indefinitely.