Heat Should Keep Max Strus amid Latest Jae Crowder, NBA Trade Rumors

With Saturday's win over the Charlotte Hornets, the Miami Heat improved to 6-7. Miami has won two in a row and may be trending in the right direction. At 6-7, however, the Heat aren't where they expected to be after claiming the top seed in the East a year ago.

Miami, and its fans, may hope for a little help via the trade market, and Phoenix Suns forward Jae Cowder appears to be on the team's radar. The interest could be mutual.

"Heat officials have even expressed confidence Miami is Crowder's preferred destination," Yahoo Sports' Jake Fischer wrote last month. "By all accounts, Crowder didn't want to leave Miami after he contributed to the Heat's 2020 Eastern Conference championship."

Crowder is familiar with the Heat after spending the 2020 season in Miami. According to Ian Begley of SNY, Miami and Phoenix have been in contact regarding a Crowder trade—and the Suns have a specific trade target in mind.

"Miami is among the teams Phoenix has touched base with on a Crowder deal. Per SNY sources, some with Phoenix see Miami’s Max Strus as an integral part of any return for Crowder," Begley wrote.

While the prospect of a Crowder reunion is intriguing, Miami should be reluctant to give up Strus in the deal. The 26-year-old is slated to be a free agent in 2023, but he's a key role player who could be a long-term building block if the Heat can retain him.

This season, Strus has started six of 13 games and averaged 15.5 points in 32.6 minutes. He's shooting 46.5 percent from the floor and 38.7 from beyond the arc. He dropped 31 points with four rebounds and two assists against Charlotte.

Crowder is also on an expiring contract and, at 32 years old, has less long-term upside. Plus, it's not as if Miami could make a one-for-one trade involving Strus to acquire him. Because the Suns are over the luxury-tax threshold, any team trading for Crowder must salary match—up to 125 percent under NBA trade guidelines.

If Phoenix takes on the 125 percent, a team must trade $8.2 million in salary to match Crowder's $10.2 million salary. Strus' salary is just $1.8 million. The DePaul product would only be a piece of a trade package, and Miami should hold out for a different deal.

That deal could involve other players, possibly Victor Oladipo and Dewayne Dedmon, who will become trade-eligible on January 15. If Phoenix insists on getting Strus, that may mean getting more than just Crowder in return.

The Heat can afford to be patient here. The Suns haven't found a taker for Crowder yet, and it appears that he won't be suiting up for Phoenix again this season.

"Even with Cam Johnson sidelined through the new year by a meniscus surgery, it appears Phoenix and Crowder share no designs on a reunion any time soon," Fischer wrote on Friday.

Fischer, while discussing the trade prospects of Detroit Pistons forward Bojan Bogdanović, also noted that Phoenix may eventually have to include draft capital in a Crowder package:

"A continued stalemate in Crowder’s market could feasibly push the Suns to alter their approach in holding pat for that key impact player, before this championship window with Chris Paul closes, and attach draft capital to Crowder’s salary if the right addition like Bogdanovic is on the table."

If Miami is going to part with a young and improving player like Strus, it must demand a quality draft pick in return. Theoretically, Crowder could help this season, but he's not someone the Heat can develop for the future.

Ideally, Miami won't trade Strus at all. As he showed against the Hornets, Strus has the potential to be a real difference-maker and to be a multiyear contributor. The Heat shouldn't be quick to offer up Strus for Crowder now.

The trade deadline isn't until February 9, and better trade options will likely emerge by then. Barring a more concerted effort by Phoenix to move Crowder, he'll probably remain an option for the foreseeable future too.