The Phoenix Suns still need to move on from Jae Crowder at the NBA trade deadline. He has sat out for the entirety of the season, dating back to training camp, despite being in the final year of his current contract. Where could he end up?
Crowder was a helpful contributor on the wing during the Suns’ run to the NBA Finals. When Phoenix made it clear that he would be moved to the bench during the upcoming season in favor of starting Cam Johnson, Crowder decided that he wanted to sit out to be traded to a new team.
According to Marc Stein of The Stein Line, the Milwaukee Bucks and Miami Heat are among the teams that are still interested in trading for Crowder. However, there are some concerns about his ability to quickly return to competition after sitting out.
The Bucks and Heat are also among the teams that remain interested in Phoenix’s Jae Crowder, but Crowder’s exile from the Suns in anticipation of a trade is approaching four months. That raises questions for potential suitors, as well as the Suns if they ever decide to try to bring Crowder back, about how long it will take the 32-year-old to acclimatize to a team and the state of his conditioning more than halfway through the season.
The Bucks nearly traded for Crowder earlier in the season, but a three-team trade involving the Houston Rockets didn’t come to fruition. However, in speaking of the Rockets, Milwaukee has also discussed a trade for Eric Gordon, attempting to send out multiple second-round picks to get a deal done.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Jae Crowder, Phoenix Suns, Milwaukee Bucks & Miami Heat Updates
Both the Bucks and Heat are among the teams that have been linked as possible trade suitors for Cam Reddish ahead of the midseason deadline, too. Other teams that have been mentioned as potential suitors are the Dallas Mavericks and Los Angeles Lakers.
The Bucks are in a situation where they are limited in trade assets, but they clearly are motivated to add another wing based on how they’ve already been linked to multiple names fitting that mold. With Giannis Antetokounmpo in his prime, continuing to get creative with making in-season upgrades will naturally occur.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Jae Crowder, Phoenix Suns, Milwaukee Bucks & Miami Heat Updates
The Heat could use another option at the four to play next to Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo. The team lost PJ Tucker in the offseason and needs to add depth at the position. Like the Bucks, Miami doesn’t have a lot of trade assets to work with, and with Crowder set to reach free agency, they could potentially pursue him in free agency.
