It’s no secret that the Miami Heat are interested in Phoenix Suns forward Jae Crowder.
The veteran has been linked to the Heat for quite some time now, and it seems like the rumors aren’t going away.
In a new development, Shams Charania of The Athletic is reporting that Miami is expected to have a “re-energized pursuit” of Crowder once players like Dewayne Dedmon and Victor Oladipo are eligible to be traded.
“The [Atlanta] Hawks and Heat also are interested in Crowder, and Miami is expected to have a re-energized pursuit soon because it has a slew of players, such as Dewayne Dedmon and Victor Oladipo, available to be traded starting Thursday,” wrote Charania. “The [Milwaukee] Bucks could continue to seek a third team to facilitate a trade for Crowder, which would be a homecoming of sorts for the Georgia native who played his college ball at Marquette.”
It definitely seems like Crowder is a player the Heat would like to have around. Perhaps he left a good impression on the organization during his first stint with the team, which came in the 2019-20 season.
Crowder helped the Heat reach the NBA Finals that season. He appeared in 20 games for Miami in the regular season and 21 in the playoffs, starting all 21 of those postseason games.
He hasn’t played this season for the Suns, as he’s essentially waiting to be traded. However, NBA fans have a pretty good idea of what kind of player Crowder is on a yearly basis: a tough defender who’s a serviceable 3-point shooter and hustle player.
The 32-year-old has averaged 10.0 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game over his last three seasons, shooting 40.2 percent from the field and 36.0 percent from deep. His stint with Miami is included in that span.
The Heat could definitely use some new life in their rotation. The team is 12-15 and hasn’t been over .500 at any point this season.
However, Miami does have a four-game road trip coming up that features some very winnable games. If the Heat were to go 4-0 on the trip, they’d head home with a winning record.
Every game is important right now because each one gives Miami’s front office a chance to evaluate what needs to change. The Heat will get the road trip started on Monday against the Indiana Pacers.