Trail Blazers, Bulls Linked to Suns’ Jae Crowder

Count the Trail Blazers and Bulls among the teams with an interest in Suns forward Jae Crowder, per Matt Moore of Action Network, via Hoops Rumors’ Rory Maher.

Crowder, of course, is most strongly linked to the Bucks, with Phoenix and Milwaukee supposedly gaining steam in trade talks. The Suns have even granted the Bucks permission to meet with Crowder ahead of the Feb. 9 trade deadline, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.

The Blazers are said to be particularly active in the trade market as they look to make a playoff push and add more veterans around star guard Damian Lillard. They are said to be open to moving guard Josh Hart, along with several others, as we relayed here.

Meanwhile, the Bulls are exploring multiple trades, including some involving guard Alex Caruso, center Andre Drummond, and per reports, perhaps guard Coby White.

Still, it appears the Bucks are the frontrunner to land Crowder, with a recent offer that consisted of center/forward Serge Ibaka, point guard George Hill, small forward Jordan Nwora, and second-round compensation, per Charania.

Crowder, 32, appeared in 67 games last season (all starts), averaging 9.4 points on 40 percent shooting, to go with 5.3 rebounds and some strong perimeter defense. 

He also has been linked to the Wizards, Knicks and Heat since requesting a trade just before the season.

“I’ve spoken to every player that I’ve played with on that team and they all have stressed how much they miss [me] and respect my decision, and I’m thankful for their understanding,” Crowder recently told Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report. “This move of pushing me out the door was a blindsided hit to not only me but my teammates, as you can see from speaking to them and myself and the conversations we’ve had behind closed doors.”

Sources: The Suns have given permission to the Bucks to meet with Jae Crowder ahead of trade deadline.

New Inside Pass at @TheAthletic reporting on the Raptors, Crowder and John Collins, Mavericks wing emerging as trade target, Jakob Poeltl, and more: https://t.co/qtKRtxt61g

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) January 30, 2023