The Miami Heat have been linked to Phoenix Suns veteran Jae Crowder for quite some time now.
Crowder hasn’t played in the 2022-23 campaign, as he’s essentially waiting to be traded before suiting up this season.
According to a new report, the Heat, along with the Milwaukee Bucks, are viewed as the frontrunners for the 32-year-old. It sounds like several teams are still interested in him.
“The Suns are continuing to explore potential Jae Crowder trades, with the Bucks, Heat, [Golden State] Warriors and others among those interested, sources told Hoops Wire,” wrote Sam Amico.
Crowder, of course, played for the Heat in the 2019-20 season.
“The Bucks and Heat are viewed as the frontrunners for the veteran small forward, as the Suns would be hesitant to send him to a Western team, particularly a West contender sources said,” wrote Amico.
It remains to be seen how long it’s going to take for the forward to be dealt, but there’s clearly no shortage of teams keeping an eye on him.
“Others expressing an interest in Crowder over the past few weeks, per sources: The [Charlotte] Hornets, [Denver] Nuggets, [Washington] Wizards, [Minnesota] Timberwolves and [New York] Knicks,” wrote Amico.
Crowder played a solid role for Miami in the 2019-20 campaign. In the regular season, he appeared in 20 games and averaged 11.9 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.8 assists per contest. He shot 48.2 percent from the field and an absurd 44.5 percent from deep.
In the playoffs, his shooting cooled off, but he still averaged 12.0 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game. As Heat fans know, the team reached the NBA Finals that season.
Crowder is a passionate player, and he’d definitely bring some energy to the Heat. Moreover, he’s been part of some really impressive playoff runs, but he’s never won an NBA title. For that reason, he’s probably extremely motivated to get his first championship ring.
Last season, the veteran averaged 9.4 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game for Phoenix. The fact that he hasn’t played yet this season may be a concern for some fans, but one has to imagine that he’s staying in basketball shape to be ready for a potential trade.
The Heat are on a bit of a run right now, as they’ve won three straight games and are back within a game of .500. They have some tough games ahead, but a win over the Boston Celtics on Wednesday would get Miami back to .500 (at 11-11) for the first time since the squad was 7-7.
Crowder is surely keeping an eye on the teams that he’s been linked to lately.