3 different ways Cavs can upgrade roster in a Jae Crowder trade

3 ways Cavs upgrade roster: Three-team trade

The Cavs can get involved in a Jae Crowder trade without adding the Suns forward directly, and that is through a three (or more) team trade. The idea here is that the Phoenix Suns find a trade partner that wants Crowder, but doesn’t have a player to trade back that the Suns want. The Cavs can step in and help to facilitate such a move.

This is what they did two years ago when they stepped into the James Harden trade. The Houston Rockets didn’t want Jarrett Allen, so the Cavs took Allen and Taurean Price in exchange for sending an extra first-round pick to the Rockets. They could do the same type of thing here in a Crowder deal.

For example, let’s say that the Memphis Grizzlies want to add Crowder, but the Suns don’t like that they have to offer. Instead, the Cavs send Cedi Osman, Lamar Stevens and a pick to the Suns and they receive back Danny Green.

It could get larger, too. Let’s look at an example where the Miami Heat are working out a deal for Crowder. They want to move Duncan Robinson and a first to make it happen, but the Suns don’t want Robinson. Instead, perhaps they move Robinson to the Utah Jazz, Malik Beasley comes to the Cavs, and Caris LeVert ends up in Phoenix. Whatever the configuration, the Cavs could get a player whose fit they like better as part of a larger deal for the Suns forward.