Crowder and Heat Reunion: Would Joe Crowder’s Comeback to the Miami Heat
The Phoenix Suns are reportedly shopping veteran forward Jae Crowder this offseason, which could be good news for the Miami Heat.
According to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, Crowder would “welcome” returning to Miami. The Heat acquired Crowder in a trade during the 2019-20 season, and he was instrumental throughout Heat’s journey to the NBA Finals in Orlando, Florida, that year.
“We hear Jae Crowder would welcome a return to the Heat, and ESPN’s Brian Windhorst — while not mentioning the Heat or any team — said the Suns are ‘are in trade negotiations right now.'” Jackson wrote. “A lot of them are centered around forward Jae Crowder. Jae Crowder is a player who is available on the market right now.'”
During the 2019-20 season, Crowder appeared in 20 regular-season games for the team. Crowder had 11.9 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game in each match while shooting 44.5 percent from three-point range and 48.2 percent from the field.
Crowder was money from beyond the arc for Miami that season, and it isn’t easy to overstate how important he was in the playoffs.
The Heat greatly benefited from Crowder’s ability to open up the floor at the forward position, and he would be an ideal substitute for P.J. Tucker. The latter this summer joined the Philadelphia 76ers.
For Phoenix last season, Crowder averaged 9.4 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game while making 34.8 percent of their 3-point attempts and 39.9 percent of their total shots. He is a plus-defender who would aid Miami against players in the Eastern Conference like Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kevin Durant, and others.
The salary cap may be the only obstacle to a Heat reunion with Crowder, as both teams need to match salaries to complete a transaction.
“The problem is crafting a deal, within salary cap rules, that would satisfy both teams,” Jackson wrote. “The problem is crafting a deal, within salary cap rules, that would satisfy both teams,” Jackson wrote. It would be surprising if the Suns were willing to take the final four years and $75 million of Duncan Robinson’s deal for Crowder, who is due $10.2 million on an expiring contract. It would be really surprising if the Heat were willing to offer a first-round pick in a trade for Crowder. “
After making such a significant playoff run the previous year, it’s feasible that the Heat will be prepared to part up a choice, perhaps in the second round, or a young player to acquire Crowder.