Jae Crowder, a veteran of the Phoenix Suns, has long been associated with the Miami Heat.
Since Crowder is effectively preparing to be traded before showing up this season, he hasn’t played in 2022–23.
According to a recent report, Miami Heat and the Milwaukee Bucks are said to be the front-runners to sign the 32-year-old. It appears that he is still attracting interest from numerous teams.
Sam Amico reported that sources told Hoops Wire that the Bucks, Heat, [Golden State] Warriors, and other teams were among those interested in Jae Crowder.
Of course, Crowder participated for the Heat in the upcoming season.
Sources claimed that the Suns would be reluctant to move him to a Western team, especially a West contender. Thus, the Bucks and Heat are seen as the top contenders for the veteran small forward.
Although it’s unclear how long it will take the forward to be dealt with, several teams keep tabs on him.
According to reports, the [Charlotte Hornets], [Denver Nuggets], [Washington Wizards], [Minnesota Timberwolves], and [New York] Knicks have all expressed interest in Crowder over the recent weeks.
Crowder contributed significantly to Miami during the 2019–20 season. He played in 20 games during the regular season, scoring 11.9 points, scoring 5.4 rebounds, and dishing out 1.8 assists each time. He made an astounding 44.5 percent of his long-distance shots and shot 48.2 percent overall.
Even though his shooting declined during the playoffs, he averaged 12.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game. The Miami Heat made it to the NBA Finals that year, as fans of the franchise are aware.
Crowder is a driven player who would undoubtedly inject some vigor into the Heat. He has also participated in some amazing postseason runs but never won an NBA championship. He’s driven to get his first championship ring because of this.
For Phoenix in the previous season, the veteran scored 9.4 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game. Some fans may be concerned that he hasn’t played yet this year, but it’s reasonable to assume he’s maintaining his basketball form to be prepared for a potential trade.
The Heat have won three games straight and are back within one game of.500, so they are now on a roll. Miami would return.500 (at 11-11) for the first time since the team’s 7-7 season with a victory over the Boston Celtics on Wednesday, even if they still have some challenging games ahead of them.
Crowder is undoubtedly keeping a close eye on the teams with which he has recently been associated.