Would Trading For Jae Crowder Make Sense For Atlanta Hawks?

The Atlanta Hawks are a team rumored to have trade interest in Phoenix Suns forward Jae Crowder, yet making a move for the veteran could be detrimental to their roster ahead of the start of the 2022-23 season.

Following a trip to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2021, the Atlanta Hawks really struggled to find their footing in the Eastern Conference a season ago, which resulted in them finishing the 2021-22 season with a 43-39 record, as well as a first-round exit in the playoffs.

Things are not going to get any easier in the East this upcoming season for Atlanta in terms of the competing teams surrounding them, which is why President of Basketball Operations Travis Schlenk has been aggressive this offseason. The Hawks added All-Star Dejounte Murray, Aaron Holiday, Justin Holiday and Frank Kaminsky III, yet Schlenk could have yet another deal in mind right ahead of the start of the new season.

According to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, the Hawks have emerged as a “serious suitor” for Suns veteran Jae Crowder and that the two sides have held trade conversations in the recent weeks and months.

Eastern Conference contender emerges as interested suitor for Suns' Jae Crowder: pic.twitter.com/oxw12tvnUt

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) October 10, 2022

A week ago, sources told Fastbreak on FanNation that the Suns had been talking with numerous teams in regards to potential deals involving Jae Crowder and that the organization would like to have a deal done before the start of the season if possible. It was also said that Phoenix would like to bring in a player who can contribute right away at the start of the 2022-23 season in any deal involving Crowder.

If Atlanta does see Crowder as a potential fit in their plans next to Trae Young, Dejounte Murray and John Collins, they absolutely have the assets to make a deal happen. However, doing so could end up being costly, especially right ahead of the start of the new season.

When looking at the Hawks roster as a whole, they are somewhat limited in terms of what kind of a trade they can make. Atlanta is currently right around the tax line for the 2022-23 season and as a result, they will need to try and match Jae Crowder’s $10.1 million contract for this year as best they can.

Young, Murray and Collins are all off-the-table in trade talks right now and the Hawks would likely resent the idea of giving up Clint Capela or Bogdan Bogdanovic for Jae Crowder. This leaves De’Andre Hunter, Onyeka Okongwu, Justin Holiday and some of their youthful talents like recent first-round picks Jalen Johnson and AJ Griffin as their only other tradable assets.

Looking to keep Hunter around for many years to come, the Hawks would likely take him off-the-table in trade talks, which means a trade for Crowder would almost have to involve veteran forward Justin Holiday, who the Hawks recently acquired this offseason.

Maybe Atlanta would be willing to part ways with Holiday, but they acquired him for a reason this offseason and they did also sign his brother Aaron Holiday to a minimum-like deal as well.

If the Hawks were to part ways with Justin Holiday, who is set to make roughly $6.3 million, in a trade for Jae Crowder, at least one other player would have to be on the move from Atlanta in order for them to match Crowder’s salary. 

Both Aaron Holiday ($1.8 million) and Frank Kaminsky III ($1.8 million) cannot be dealt until December 15 due to the fact that they recently signed new contracts with the Hawks in free agency, leaving Jalen Johnson ($2.7 million) and AJ Griffin ($3.5 million) as the only other tradeable players in this scenario.

Having Crowder alongside Young, Murray and Collins certainly makes sense for the Hawks given the veteran’s resume of success through the years, but making a trade for him does not seem too practical right now, especially since the team’s chemistry could be thrown off just days before the start of the regular season.

The Atlanta Hawks are scheduled to begin the 2022-23 NBA season at home on October 19 against the Houston Rockets.