The Miami Heat reportedly are interested in Phoenix Suns forward Jae Crowder this offseason.
The Sun Sentinel’s Ira Winderman explained that the team could look to add Crowder in a trade if the Heat can’t bring back forward P.J. Tucker. Tucker opted out of his deal with Miami earlier this offseason.
“Should the Heat lose out on Tucker, the team, according to an NBA source, is considering either a trade for former Heat power forward Jae Crowder, who is entering the final year of a contract that pays $10.2 million next season with the Phoenix Suns, or a possible free-agent move for Indiana Pacers forward T.J. Warren,” Winderman wrote.
Crowder, who played for the Heat during the 2019-20 season, was a key piece of their rotation and was crucial in the team’s run to the NBA Finals in the Orlando, Fla. bubble.
Miami acquired Crowder in a trade with the Memphis Grizzlies that season, and he appeared in 20 regular season games for the team. Over that stretch, Crowder shot 48.2 percent from the field and 44.5 percent from 3-point range while averaging 11.9 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game.
There’s no doubt that he would be a solid replacement for Tucker, but it’s unclear what Miami would have to give up to acquire Crowder from the Suns.
Miami is hoping that it can convince Tucker to stay, according to Winderman.
“Those, however, only would be fallback positions if current Heat teammates are unable to convince Tucker to stay,” he wrote.
The Heat are looking to improve their roster after falling short of the NBA Finals in the 2021-22 season. Losing Tucker would certainly be a step back, but the team could help mitigate the damage by adding Crowder or even Warren to the mix for the 2022-23 season.
