Phoenix Suns: Ranking Hoops Habit’s 5 potential Jae Crowder trades

1. Phoenix Suns send Jae Crowder to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Taurean Prince and Jordan McLaughlin.

Individually, Prince and McLaughlin may not jump off the page as valuable trade targets. However, trading Crowder for two rotational players in positions of need should be considered a big win.

Crowder may be the best of the three players in the deal, but with Cameron Johnson becoming the Suns starting power-forward, Phoenix can do with looking at bench contributors rather than just starting caliber players. As Carter identifies, a two-for-one deal should be a serious target for the Suns.

"“That pesky depth issue makes two-for-one deals all the more intriguing for Phoenix. The fact that Crowder is making $10.2 million helps their ability to make such a deal since this is slightly higher than the mid-level exception that many teams use to sign impact role players and vets.”"

Prince is facing some uncertainty after being arrested in late August, though from an on-court standpoint, he can provide much of what the Suns will lose with Crowder. He’s been a consistent 37.1% three-point shooter over his career, and could easily find 15-20 minutes per game behind Johnson and Mikal Bridges.

McLaughlin could provide a more consistent alternative to Cameron Payne, or at the very least give him stiff competition for the backup point-guard role. The 26-year-old is what you’d call a safe point-guard; he won’t wow you with amazing plays or massive numbers, but you can trust him to make the right plays and be a scrappy, competitive perimeter defender. He has one of the most effective assist-to-turnover rates in the league, just what you want from someone backing up Paul.

It may not be the most inspiring trade Phoenix could pull off, but it’s one that could certainly prove a shrewd move by Jones and the front office.