Getty Jae Crowder of the Phoenix Suns.
After mutually agreeing to part ways with the Phoenix Suns, former Boston Celtics wing Jae Crowder still remains with the team. According to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports, the Suns nearly completed a trade involving Crowder on November 16.
Then, on the November 17 episode of his “Please Don’t Aggregate This” podcast, Fischer said who was likely to be Crowder’s next team.
“The only thing I feel really comfortable and confident in sharing is that people around the situation have said that Milwaukee is the most likely team to land him. I can say that,” Fischer said.
He added that the Bucks have been placing calls around the league regarding Grayson Allen’s value.
“Milwaukee has definitely been calling the league and seeing what Grayson Allen’s value could bring back or what his value is, what have you,” Fischer said. “Those are kind of the pieces I feel comfortable sharing.”
He also suggested a reason Milwaukee would take an interest in someone like Crowder.
“They’ve been looking to fill that PJ Tucker role ever since he left them in free agency for Miami after they won the title,” Fischer said.
Along with the Bucks, the Heat and Atlanta Hawks were two other teams that had been linked to Crowder, he said.
Exec on Boston’s Interest in Crowder
An Eastern Conference executive revealed to Heavy Sports’ Sean Deveney where the Celtics stood on potentially acquiring Crowder.
“They’d be interested in him if there were a deal to be made, but there is nothing that makes sense there,” the exec told Deveney. “They’re interested. Every team is interested, but it is hard to line up the contracts in a way that makes sense.”
The executive explained why a trade wouldn’t make sense and outlined the only scenario in which the Celtics could potentially reunite with Crowder.
“Are the Celtics going to give up Payton Pritchard and Grant Williams to get Jae Crowder? Of course not,” the exec said. “They’re not giving up Derrick White for him. So where is the offer? There is no move there that makes sense. ‘Not interested,’ a lot of times, that just means we don’t have the pieces to make a deal.
“If they were to buy out Crowder, I guarantee you the Celtics would be at the front of the line trying to sign him,” the exec said.
Crowder Clarifies Misconception
Crowder had requested a trade because he “was informed over the summer that he may lose his starting job this season,” Brian Windhorst reported on September 26.
A month later, Chris Haynes of TNT said he had a conversation with Crowder during which Crowder said the sentiment reported by Windhorst was not true.
“Honestly, this is unfamiliar ground for me,” Crowder said, Haynes said on October 26. “This is my 11th year, and I’ve always been in camp and started the year off with my team. The business of basketball has taken its course, and changes have come. I do not want to get into the details just yet, but it’s definitely not true of the narrative being pushed about me not starting or not. I can honestly say that.”
My @NBAonTNT in-game report on my conversation with Suns forward Jae Crowder, who is away from the team and waiting on a trade: ‘It’s definitely not true of the narrative being pushed about me starting or not.’