For months, the Miami Heat have been linked to Phoenix Suns forward Jae Crowder, and while the Heat do appear to have interest in the veteran forward, it does not look like that they’re willing to part ways with Caleb Martin to land him.
“Miami has not shown any inclination to offer Caleb Martin in a deal for Crowder,” Anthony Chiang and Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reported.
It makes sense why the Heat wouldn’t have much interest in sending Martin out to land Crowder. After all, the Heat are trying to bolster the level of talent that they have at the small forward and power forward positions. Martin and Crowder can play both positions.
The Heat would seemingly like to add Crowder while also holding onto Martin. Doing that would help make the forward position a spot of strength within the Heat’s rotation.
Martin is having a pretty solid season for the Heat, putting up 9.9 points and 4.7 rebounds per game in 39 appearances (all starts). He’s one of the many forwards in the NBA who can stretch the floor thanks to his ability to shoot from deep. He’s hit 38.0 percent of his 3-pointers so far this season.
As for Crowder, he has yet to actually suit up for a single game so far this season. He and the Suns agreed to part ways prior to the start of the 2022-23 regular season.
Interestingly, his numbers from last season are very similar to Martin’s numbers from the current campaign. In the 2021-22 season, Crowder put up 9.4 points and 5.3 rebounds per game.
If the Heat are not willing to offer Martin in a potential deal for Crowder, their chances of trading for the veteran seem quite low. In fact, a recent report pointed to the possibility that the Heat might only be interested in Crowder if he becomes available on the buyout market.
Given the fact that the Suns have yet to find a trade partner for Crowder, it does seem increasingly possible that the two sides could end up agreeing to a buyout.
Such an agreement would likely only take place after the trade deadline comes and goes. Surely, the Suns will look to get whatever value they can for Crowder now that he is a nonfactor on the court.
