Could this veteran forward make sense for the Charlotte Hornets?

The NBA season is near and the Charlotte Hornets are prepared to enter the 2022-23 campaign with largely the same group from last season.

Three major moves have been made this offseason, as the Hornets drafted Duke center Mark Williams, resigned restricted free agent guard Cody Martin, and signed point guard Dennis Smith Jr. as an unrestricted free agent. With the team having their sights set on the postseason, they may be wise to monitor the trade market.

One of the names on the market at the moment is Phoenix Suns forward Jae Crowder, who is reportedly at an impasse with his current team.

Does Jae Crowder make sense for the Charlotte Hornets?

While the Hornets are not currently known to be in the mix for Jae Crowder, he may be worth checking in on. A savvy veteran, Crowder has been a consistent starter for the Suns over the past two seasons and was a critical piece of their run to the 2021 NBA Finals. Before that, he helped the Miami Heat reach the 2020 NBA Finals during the NBA Bubble.

For a Hornets team looking to make the playoffs for the first time since 2016, adding a player who has appeared in the playoffs in 10 consecutive seasons may be a wise move. Charlotte’s roster lacks extensive playoff experience, with 157 total playoff games between four players: Mason Plumlee with 60 games, Terry Rozier with 50 games, Gordon Hayward with 29 games, and Kelly Oubre Jr. with 18 games. On the contrary, Crowder has played in 107 playoff games, tied with Kyle Lowry for the 20th-most amongst active players. In a league with approximately 450 active players at any given time, Crowder is firmly within the top 5% in terms of playoff experience.

While the playoff experience and veteran leadership is great, Crowder would also need to fit in a basketball sense. A classic “three-and-D” wing, he can provide decent shooting as a career 34.6% three-point shooter. Last season, 60.3% of Crowder’s points came from three-point range and 88.5% of his made field goals were assisted, meaning that the most likely outcome on any offensive possession for Crowder is an assisted three-point shot.

Crowder is also a plus defender, something that the Hornets could certainly use more of. His career defensive rating of 107.2 would have been the best amongst Charlotte’s rotational players a season ago by a comfortable margin.

Crowder is by no means a perfect player. His three-point shooting is incredibly streaky, as evidenced by a drop from 38.9% from beyond the arc in 2020-21 to 34.8% in 2021-22. While scoring has never been his forte, he failed to score more than 19 points in any game last season. At age 32, it is entirely possible that his best days are now behind him.

What would a Jae Crowder trade look like for the Charlotte Hornets?

That said, with just one year remaining on his contract, Crowder does not represent a risky acquisition. If he fails to produce, both sides can go their separate ways next offseason. As it so happens, the Charlotte Hornets currently have wing player on an expiring contract who had his best individual season with the Suns.

In this scenario, the trade is kept simple as Charlotte and Phoenix exchange players on expiring contracts. Oubre’s best season came with the Suns in 2019-20 when he had career highs in points, rebounds, and three-point shooting percentage. While it is entirely possible that Phoenix seeks a more long-term asset in return, perhaps they view Oubre as a piece that they can retain beyond this year. If not, they could move forward with a quasi-rebuild as they deal with an aging Chris Paul and a disgruntled Deandre Ayton.

Will a Jae Crowder trade happen for the Charlotte Hornets?

While it is always interesting to discuss trades, the odds of the Hornets making a deal for Crowder are slim. Charlotte has largely been out of the acquisition business this offseason, and while Crowder could make sense, it is unlikely that Charlotte makes any major moves with the regular season beginning in less than a month.

Beyond that, Crowder is likely to want to go to a team with legitimate championship aspirations. While he has played in over a season’s worth of playoff games and has appeared in the NBA Finals on two occasions, Crowder is still seeking that elusive NBA championship ring.