NEWSLETTER
The NBA trade deadline is 10 days away, so it’s no surprise that this week has started off with a piping-hot fresh batch of rumors!
Let’s get caught up on some of the biggest storylines.
The Jae Crowder Sweepstakes
I’m not sure what it says about the NBA trade deadline that one of the most coveted players appears to be Jae Crowder … but here we are.
The Phoenix Suns’ veteran has held out on the organization all season long because they have refused to give him an extension. Now, the front office seems prime to trade him, and several teams remain interested.
According to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, the Suns have given the Milwaukee Bucks permission to speak with Crowder about a possible trade. The Bucks have long been a rumored landing spot for Crowder, and they are the only team that has been allowed to speak with him. The apparent offer on the table right now includes Jordan Nwora, George Hill, and Serge Ibaka heading to Phoenix along with a second-round pick.
While the Bucks sure sound prime to land Crowder, they aren’t the only team still involved. Charania also name-dropped the Heat and Hawks – two teams hoping to put together a second-half surge. Barry Jackson and Anthony Chiang (h/t HoopsRumors) of the Miami Herald recently spoke about the Heat’s pursuit of Crowder, mentioning that they’ve heard Duncan Robinson and Caleb Martin have been offered to the Suns.
Of course, then there is the recent rumor about the Chicago Bulls entering the Crowder mix. The Action Network’s Matt Moore reported that Chicago has discussed Coby White for Crowder, but the Suns haven’t relayed much interest in such a transaction.
We talked a lot more about whether or not moving forward with Crowder makes sense in the post below (Spoiler Alert: Not really):
Hornets Ready to Sell
The Charlotte Hornets have accepted defeat. Sitting at 15-36, the organization appears ready to prioritize its draft position for the remainder of the season.
With that in mind, the Action Network’s Matt Moore reports that they’re hoping to collect assets and avoid absorbing any long-term money. Meanwhile, Shams Charania of The Athletic stated that guys like Miles Plumlee Kelly Oubre Jr., and Jalen McDaniels have been a part of trade conversations around the league. I’d also have to imagine that Charlotte would be ready to move on from veterans like Terry Rozier (who Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports’ recently mentioned has fans around the league) and Gordon Hayward.
How many of these players will actually end up in trades – especially when they’re saying they want a first-rounder for Plumlee – is a big question. But I have to imagine we’ll hear them come up an increasing amount over the next week or so. Keep your eyes out.
Teams in the West Are Hungry
It feels like every team out West is ready to make a deal.
The Denver Nuggets currently sit 34-16 in the West’s top spot and sound eager to add win-now pieces. Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports recently mentioned that they are open to moving second-year scorer Bones Hyland. Charania reiterated this report, stating that the Timberwolves are a team that has expressed interest.
Along with Hyland, eyes are set on versatile forward Bruce Brown, per Fischer. He’s expected to decline his contract, meaning the Nuggets could risk losing him for nothing in free agency. I have to imagine that both players can generate quite a bit of interest around the league, but whether or not either can provide the kind of return that Denver is looking for is the key question. For what it’s worth, though, The Denver Posts’ Mike Singer did say the Nuggets have traction on potentially acquiring a first-round pick.
As Denver looks to add to its roster, Utah looks ready to shuffle some of its pieces around. Thanks to their offseason trade with the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Jazz have several instant-impact role players. Jarred Vanderbilt and Malik Beasley are two of the biggest names, and both continue to be tied to the Hawks in exchange for big man John Collins, per Charania. Scotto also tied both targets back to the New York Knicks, who are currently 1.0 game out from the East’s top 6.
One other team that has found itself in plenty of rumors as of late is Portland. They remain eager to build a winner around Damian Lillard despite remaining outside of the current playoff picture in the West. Matt Moore of the Action Network stated that Josh Hart and Jusuf Nurkic are the two teams on the trading block. Hart is reporting the most “gettable,” while Nurkic would only be available for what the organization considers an “upgrade” at center. Fischer reiterated on the “Please Dont’ Aggregate This Podcast” (ha, irony) that Hart is “very available.”
