NBA Trade Watch: Phoenix Suns’ Jae Crowder Could be Moved Soon
Since the 2022 offseason, it’s been apparent that the Phoenix Suns would move on from the veteran forward Jae Crowder. As the Suns resolved their situation with the big man DeAndre Ayton, Crowder became the next veteran to face a possible trade out of Phoenix.
Ayton might be in Phoenix to stay, but it’s clear the Crowder situation won’t end in the veteran returning to the floor to play for the Suns.
The 32-year-old forward has yet to take the floor this season. As the Suns are 14 games into the year, the trade rumors regarding Crowder have not dissolved. And as the rumors remain very much relevant around the NBA, a recent report from NBA reporter Marc Stein hints that the Crowder saga could see its conclusion very soon.
“There have been some credible rumbles this week that the Suns have made progress on finding a trade resolution to the Jae Crowder saga. Crowder's cryptic IG story appears to address to feed into that notion,” Stein wrote on Twitter.
According to Yahoo Sports’ Jake Fischer, the Suns are “close to finalizing a three-team trade.” That report came on Wednesday before the Suns faced the Golden State Warriors at home.
While the Philadelphia 76ers are unlikely to be involved in the Crowder market, multiple Eastern Conference foes have been linked to the veteran forward.
The Miami Heat have been linked to a potential Crowder reunion since the start of the saga. As Crowder was a key part of Miami’s championship run in the bubble during the 2019-2020 season, the Heat view the veteran forward as a potential solid addition to their roster once again as they look to possibly make another run in the East this year.
According to a report from CBS Sports, the Milwaukee Bucks are another team that’s reportedly shown interest in a possible Crowder trade as well. Similar to Miami, Milwaukee is in a position to make win-now moves. While they hope to make another run in the Eastern Conference, the Bucks could get their hands on the 11-year veteran if they are one of the two teams involved in the possible mystery deal.
Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for All76ers, a Sports Illustrated channel. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.