Spurs Help Out Heat, Suns in Jae Crowder Trade Idea
The San Antonio Spurs' goal for the upcoming trade deadline should be to improve the team's future outlook.
With a couple tradeable assets like Jakob Poeltl and Josh Richardson, they have potential to do just that.
In a three-way trade idea curated by Bleacher Report, the Spurs would send Richardson to the Phoenix Suns in a three-team trade that would ultimately land frustrated veteran forward Jae Crowder back with the Miami Heat, where he played a key role in their 2020 NBA Finals run.
Here's a look at the trade ...
Miami Heat receive: Jae Crowder
Phoenix Suns receive: Josh Richardson, Max Strus
San Antonio Spurs receive: Nikola Jović, Duncan Robinson, Phoenix's 2023 first-round pick (top-five protected)
"There's a non-zero chance Phoenix lands in the play-in tournament, which means there's a non-zero chance it winds up in the lottery," Bleacher Report writes. "Nikola Jović needs plenty of polish, but he projects as a 6'10" wing scorer and playmaker. That isn't bad compensation for helping make the money work and stomaching Duncan Robinson's bloated contract."
Jović, 19, fits the standard idea of a typical Spurs prospect. As a player who experienced success overseas, Jović can work with the player development staff to help his game transition to the NBA. He has only played in 15 games this season due to injury and doesn't quite fit the Heat's timeline of wanting to win now.
As a rebuilding team, the Spurs can afford to take on a contract like Robinson's, which makes roughly $75 million and doesn't expire until 2026. Given the fact that the team gets essentially two first-round picks in return, the pros outweigh the cons.
You can follow Jeremy Brener on Twitter @JeremyBrener.
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