2 potential versions of Jae Crowder trade for Cavs

2 potential versions of Jae Crowder trade for Cavs: Trading Cedi Osman

The Phoenix Suns are not going to trade Jae Crowder for prospects or future draft capital, not unless they can immediately flip that for a veteran player. With a 37 year-old Chris Paul running the point and coming off of a 64-win season, the Suns are contenders right now. Whatever they get back for Crowder has to help them win now.

If the Suns decide what they want in return for Crowder is wing depth and movement shooting, Cedi Osman will likely be one of their best options on the trade market. Suns insider John Gambadoro mentioned that Phoenix has an interest in Cedi Osman, and noted that he balled out against them this past season.

Osman has had an up-and-down tenure with the Cavs, and the reality is that by the end of last season he was on the fringes of J.B. Bickerstaff’s rotation. He wouldn’t replace the defensive loss of moving Crowder, but perhaps adding Lamar Stevens as the other part of the deal can give Suns coach Monty Williams a pair of very different chess pieces to move around the board.

The money is where any Crowder deal gets tricky. The Cavs are just $2.4 million below the luxury tax line, and will presumably do whatever is necessary to stay under given the coming expenses of this roster in future seasons. The Suns are already a few steps into the luxury tax and will be reluctant to add salary in a deal.

This deal swaps $9.2 million of Osman and Stevens’ contracts for the $10.1 million of Crowder’s. That shaves a little money off for the Suns, and leaves the Cavs just enough breathing room for a subsidized minimum contract for spot number 14. The second-round pick is the final piece to make it worth the Suns’ while. This seems like a deal that both sides could agree to.