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Jae Crowder has played in a grand total of zero NBA games during the 2022-23 NBA season.
Yet the Phoenix Suns’ veteran is still in high demand across the league.
Crowder, a 6-foot-6 win who is considered one of the premier 3-and-D role players in the league, has sat out the entire season while waiting on a trade.
Phoenix hoped to come to an agreement to trade Crowder over the summer but no deal was made. He lost his starting spot to former first-round pick Cam Johnson over the summer and the two sides agreed to a reported “mutual absence.”
But now the NBA trade deadline is nearing. And with the Suns struggling at 26-25, there are no shortage of suitors for the often controversial 11-year NBA veteran. One of those suitors has reportedly come to forefront in recent weeks and a trade could soon follow.
Milwaukee Bucks Working On Trade To Acquire Jae Crowder From The Phoenix Suns
Shams Charania of The Athletic reports that the Milwaukee Bucks, who currently sit in third place in the Eastern Conference at 32-17, are in hot pursuit of Crowder.
In a new development, the Suns have given permission to the Bucks to meet with Crowder and they met over the weekend, league sources tell The Athletic. The Bucks are believed to be the only team that has received permission to visit one-on-one with Crowder, those sources have also indicated.
The two teams have even gone so far as to sketch out the framework of a potential deal.
Both the Suns and Bucks have engaged in serious trade talks for months, with current proposals surrounding Jordan Nwora, George Hill, Serge Ibaka and second-round draft compensation to Phoenix for Crowder, according to sources. The Bucks and Suns have searched for a third team to provide Phoenix with a forward – so what outcome will emerge between now and next Thursday?
If there’s a deal to be made, it will have to come soon. The NBA trade deadline is just 10 days away and both teams are hoping to sure up their rosters ahead of a playoff push.