The Chicago Bulls should pursue Jae Crowder in a tradeRyan Heckmanon September 26, 2022 at 4:00 pm

With so much focus on the NFL season kicking off and the MLB postseason right around the corner, we cannot forget that the NBA will be tipping off just weeks from now. The Chicago Bulls begin their preseason just a week from Tuesday, believe it or not.

There are still a lot of worries surrounding this Bulls team, especially with how much better other Eastern Conference teams have gotten over the offseason. No bigger concern remains, though, than point guard Lonzo Ball and his health.

But, the Bulls must press on regardless — and, they still have an opportunity to add talent.

Recently, Phoenix Suns veteran forward Jae Crowder took to Twitter in order to express his frustrations with the team. His playing time is likely to decrease even further, with the emergence of Cameron Johnson, and Crowder still believes he has plenty left in the tank at 32 years old.

This tweet is referring to the fact that he and the Suns are going to part ways. Crowder is going to be traded, and the question now is “when” and not “if.”

The veteran swing man was reportedly the center of trade talks over the summer between the Suns and the Utah Jazz, but nothing came to fruition.

The Bulls have certainly needed help on the perimeter when it comes to three-point shooting and perimeter defending. Crowder could give them exactly that. For years now, Crowder has been one of the very best perimeter defenders in all of basketball.

He’s been that glue guy which teams look to in clutch moments to help get a stop, and has also come up big with some key three-point shots in dire situations. Crowder isn’t an elite shooter by any means, but is a career 34.6 percent shooter from beyond the arc. Two of the last three seasons, though, Crowder finished above 38 percent in that department.

The Bulls could likely get Crowder on the cheap, now, due to this being the last year of the veteran’s contract and Phoenix willingly ready to move on. If Chicago could send a player, along with a second rounder, in order to get Crowder, that would be a huge win.

Then, their forward pool could include Patrick Williams, DeMar DeRozan, Javonte Green, Derrick Jones Jr. and Crowder. The depth at that spot would be solidified, and the Bulls would be able to survive an injury much easier than they did a year ago.

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