NBA Rumors: Another 76ers Rival Enters Jae Crowder Trade Market?

Another Eastern Conference team joins the Miami Heat in the Jae Crowder trade market.

The Phoenix Suns have yet to make a move when it comes to Jae Crowder. As the veteran forward is one of the biggest names on the trade market, he’s patiently waiting to land a new opportunity before he takes the floor again.

Last year, Crowder appeared in 67 games for the Suns. Averaging a little under 30 minutes on the floor, the veteran produced nine points per game while draining 35 percent of his threes. In the playoffs, he put up nine points per game, hitting on just 30 percent of his threes.

Considering where the 32-year-old forward is at in his career, Crowder would benefit from landing on a championship-hopeful team. Several teams have been linked to Crowder, but none more than the Miami Heat. If Crowder were to return to Miami, he would certainly boost the Heat’s chances of becoming more of a threat in the Eastern Conference.

There hasn’t been much traction between the Heat and the Suns lately, and now another Eastern Conference team is reportedly in the mix. According to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, the Washington Wizards are rumored to be “looking at a guy like Jae Crowder.”

Per Windhorst, the Suns are looking for a power forward in return for Crowder, making names such as Rui Hachimura and Denialism Avdija relevant in the rumors for Crowder when it comes to the Wizards.

The Wizards, like the Philadelphia 76ers, are around the middle of the pack when it comes to the Eastern Conference standings currently. With an 11-11 record, Washington is still trying to figure out what type of pieces they need to add in order to get themselves back in the playoff conversation.

Could Crowder be a fit for that? It seems Washington is exploring the idea. But recent rumors still hint that Phoenix is a long way from finding the conclusion in the Crowder sweepstakes. 

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for All76ers, a Sports Illustrated channel. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.