Phoenix Suns forward Jae Crowder has not played a single game this season as he waits for a change of scenery, and according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowki, that could be coming sooner rather than later.
The Miami Heat and Milwaukee Bucks are both looking to pursue a possible trade for Crowder to boost their respective chances at title contention in a powerhouse Eastern Conference, per Wojnarowski.
“Both Milwaukee and Miami are among a number of teams still tracking a possible deal with Phoenix,” Wojnarowski said.
Woj later added that Crowder has played “the most postseason games in the NBA over the past three seasons and he's the type of player who fits the identity of both the Heat and the Bucks.”
Crowder and the Suns agreed during last year's offseason that he's be away from the team until Phoenix found a new landing spot for him. He reportedly was not happy with the prospect of coming off the bench, although he was in line for an increased role had he stayed with the team amid injuries to multiple key players, most notably Devin Booker.
A defensive stalwart with good three-point numbers, Crowder averaged 9.4 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.4 steals over 67 games last campaign. He plays tough on the court and is a veteran presence in the locker room that his teammates emulate, per Wojnarowski.
The 32-year-old recently said he was “confused” and “hurt” by the Suns, texting this to Bleacher Report: “I’ve spoken to every player that I’ve played with on that team and they all have stressed how much they miss [me] and respect my decision, and I’m thankful for their understanding. This move of pushing me out the door was a blindsided hit to not only me but my teammates, as you can see from speaking to them and myself and the conversations we’ve had behind closed doors.”
Jae Crowder would seemingly be a good fit with either the Miami Heat or the Milwaukee Bucks; the NBA's Trade Deadline is Feb. 9.
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