Nick Crain | 1/30/23

One of the most impactful players in the entire NBA is Jae Crowder. While he’s not a star, he’s known for playing winning basketball. In fact, he’s made the playoffs in nine consecutive seasons while playing on five different teams. Simply put, Crowder is a winner. With that in mind, we haven’t yet seen him play this season. Still technically a member of the Phoenix Suns, he’s opted to sit out this season until the team can find a new home for him via trade. This is due to the two sides not being able to come to an agreement on a new contract extension, as he’s in the final year of his current deal. Set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer, any team that trades for Crowder will want to be confident in their ability to sign him to a new deal in the offseason. That makes things additionally challenging in building a framework for trade. We haven’t seen him play this season, but in the 2021-22 campaign Crowder was worth roughly $23 million based on his on-court production. It’s been reported that the Milwaukee Bucks have already put together an enticing package for Crowder, but it’s not yet a done deal. With that in mind, let’s use ProFitX’s trade model to identify four trade packages that could make sense as a starting point for the versatile forward outside of Milwaukee.

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Timberwolves Pivot

The Minnesota Timberwolves are starting to improve this season, but have a long way to go. Despite their early struggles, Naz Reid has emerged as a quality big that can really give a contending team valuable minutes. He’s also set to be a free agent this summer, so perhaps a swap of him for Crowder could make sense.

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Pelicans Go All-In

They’ve struggled without Zion Williamson in the lineup the past few weeks, but the New Orleans Pelicans are one of the best teams in the league when fully healthy. If they were able to add Crowder, they would instantly be a favorite to come out of the Western Conference. Jaxson Hayes is an attractive young big who is set to hit free agency this summer, but would be a solid piece of the Suns’ rotation until then and potentially beyond.

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Light the Beam

The Sacramento Kings have officially emerged as a legitimate postseason team after a long drought from making the playoffs. Trey Lyles is a quality rotational piece that would help Phoenix on a team-friendly contract. While the Kings would have to include picks in this type of deal, it’s a good starting point that would benefit both teams.

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Crowder Back to Dallas

Crowder started his career in Dallas, although he didn’t get much playing time in that rookie season. Now that the Mavericks are back to contending, he would be a perfect fit in the starting lineup. Maxi Kleber is an important piece of Mavericks’ rotation as a 3-and-D forward, but Crowder is worth making a move for. Kleber would also be a huge help for the Suns on both ends.