Why The Phoenix Suns Do The Deal 

Needless to say, Crowder’s trade request didn’t come in a vacuum. 

The Suns don’t have an obvious role for him. At the very least, they don’t have room for him in the starting lineup. Cameron Johnson’s emergence in 2021-22 forced him into the starting 4 spot, and Crowder won’t be replacing Mikal Bridges at the 3. 

Meanwhile, the Suns could use some guard depth. Granted, Allen probably isn’t the player most fans picture to help them in that area. More likely, they’d envision a lead ball-handler who can pilot the second unit while the starters are resting.

That would make sense. At the same time, Allen is a starting caliber 3-and-D guard. He doesn’t need to carry the second unit – his presence would allow either Chris Paul or Devin Booker to do so for stretches of the game.

LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Jae Crowder, Phoenix Suns & Milwaukee Bucks Updates

In other words, the purpose of acquiring Allen would be to allow the Suns to stagger their starting backcourt more regularly. 

What’s the purpose of acquiring Crowder for the Bucks?