The talk of the Cleveland Cavaliers over the past few weeks has centered on two main points. First, excitement and optimism for this four-deep core of young stars the team has assembled. Second, who will the Cavs start at small forward this season?
Earlier in the offseason, the question was shifted up the lineup a spot; who would start at shooting guard? In trading for Donovan Mitchell the Cavs addressed the 2 but opened up the question at the 3 when Lauri Markkanen was part of the package heading back to the Utah Jazz.
When head coach J.B. Bickerstaff was asked about the starting spot at small forward, he indicated that as many as six players were all in equal competition. Later, The Athletic’s Joe Vardon reported that the organization was also looking outside the roster, including showing interest in Phoenix Suns forward Jae Crowder.
The Cleveland Cavaliers are interested in Jae Crowder. What are some potential versions of a deal for the Cavs that make sense for both sides?
Crowder appears to be on the trade block after he and the Suns had a falling out this offseason, presumably fueled by the team indicating it was planning to start Cam Johnson over Crowder. A 10-year veteran of a number of teams, Crowder most recently was the starting power forward for a Suns team that went to the NBA Finals in 2021 and had the league’s best record a year ago.
On Wednesday we looked at the pros and cons for the Cavs in trading for Crowder, but now that it’s been officially reported the Cavs are interested, let’s put some meat on the bones. What would a Crowder trade look like? There are two primary iterations, depending on what the Suns value and how badly the Cavs want an upgrade at the 3. Let’s look at those two versions of such a deal.