Phoenix Suns acquire Portland Trail Blazers’ wing Josh Hart
Josh Hart has been regularly mentioned as a candidate for the Suns or any other contending team. That’s for good reason with the 27-year-old developing into one of the league’s best role players.
After being involved in the deal that saw CJ McCollum head to the New Orleans Pelicans, Hart was phenomenal in his 13 games with the Trail Blazers. He averaged 19.9 points on over 50% from the floor and 37.3% from three-point range.
While those numbers are skewed given the Blazers were winding down and didn’t particularly want to win, Hart’s versatility makes him an incredibly value NBA player. His numbers are still ascending too as he finds his optimal role and gains further experience.
He can shoot it a little, get to the rim off the dribble and defend well with with a solid 6’5″ frame. He’s also an elite rebounder for his size, averaging 5.7 boards across his six-year career. That makes him a versatile option capable of playing the two-guard or either forward positions.
Hart has greater value than Crowder, not only in a trade sense but also in a contract sense. The fact he makes nearly $13 million annually means a player-for-player trade wouldn’t work salary-wise anyway.
The Suns could easily add a minimum contract to Crowder, along with a lottery protected first-round pick, to get in the conversation with the Trail Blazers. Even that might not be enough, however Crowder would have value to Portland given their lack of forward depth.