The Cavaliers are reportedly among the teams with an interest in available Suns forward Jae Crowder, but it doesn’t seem like they’ve explored the possibility with any fervor.
But this is the NBA, and nothing gets the ball bouncing quite like a good rumor.
Over the weekend, one of those rumors involved the Cavs potentially sending guard/forward Cedi Osman to Phoenix, delivering Crowder to Cleveland in return. Right now, though, such a deal doesn’t seem to be in the cards, per veteran insider Marc Stein of The Stein Line.
“I’ve heard this in only one place, and trade discussions tend to be fluid, but I was told over the weekend that any talk of Cleveland swapping Cedi Osman for Jae Crowder, is no more than that,” Stein wrote, adding a disclaimer. “At least for now.”
It should be noted that the Cavs did explore Osman trades over the summer, sources told Hoops Wire. But none of those talks seemingly became very intense. (For instance, Osman may have initially been involved in the Cavs’ conversations with the Jazz that send Donovan Mitchell to Cleveland.)
At any rate, the Cavs are still deciding on a starting small forward, and Crowder clearly thinks he’s a starter. It’s the entire reason he is sitting out as both he and the Suns seek a trade.
Crowder, 32, appeared in and started 67 games last season, averaging 9.4 points on 40 percent shooting, to go with 5.3 rebounds and some strong perimeter defense. He is sort of viewed as the ultimate glue guy.
With the likes of Mitchell, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen, the Cavs are in the market for such a player. The belief around the organization, though, is that such a player is already on the roster. In fact, no less than Osman could help fill that role.
For now, that appears to be the Cavs’ thinking — they will pick a small forward from their current roster. Crowder may be a consideration, but it doesn’t seem like he’s a serious one.
As Stein wrote, at least not yet.
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