Jae Crowder to Miami: Iguodala deal done
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| (Photo: Matthew J. Lee/Boston Globe) |
Miami has agreed to trade Justise Winslow, Dion Waiters and James Johnson to Memphis for Andre Iguodala, Solomon Hill and Jae Crowder, league sources tell ESPN. No picks in the deal.— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 6, 2020
While some obvious question marks exist surrounding 36-year-old Andre Iguodala, who hasn't played an NBA game this season due to a mutual agreement with Memphis to develop their young talent, the Heat did what they needed to do to make a serious go at a deep playoff run in 2020. Everybody knows availability is the best ability and the Heat sought just that. They offloaded an injury-prone Justise Winslow who needed a change in scenery, a solid but distracted Dion Waiters, and James Johnson for three solid playmakers on both ends of the court.
“A lot of female tendencies on the court, flopping, & throwing his head back the entire game. It's a man's game & you just get tired of it...He’s soft...Very woman like.”— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) January 30, 2020
- Morris talking about Jae Crowder
pic.twitter.com/g0799TjeVy https://t.co/PUwlBp0I5h
The Heat, already surprising a good bit of the basketball world this season with their strong play, especially at home, are competing with the Toronto Raptors and your Boston Celtics for a favorable seed in the Eastern Conference, and they just got stronger with the aggressive move on Deadline Day. While the center of this trade is rightfully considered to be the return of Andre Iguodala to the NBA, who has already gotten some national attention this season from his "beef" with the young Memphis core, Celtics fans will truly appreciate the heart and culture of Jae Crowder. Whether it be a recent tussle on and off the court with Marcus Morris' Knicks or hitting clutch shots for a playoff-hungry Grizzlies, Jae Crowder has stayed at the forefront of the basketball media this season.
This season, Crowder has averaged 10 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists per game and still remains a very capable defender while also having the ability to get hot from 3. He will be joining his former Boston Celtics teammate Kelly Olynyk in a fight to the finish with Boston for a 2 or 3 seed in the East. They will have a lot to bond over, including facing Boston two more times in the regular season and playoff heroics from the Isaiah Thomas era.
Do you think this blockbuster is enough for the Miami Heat to be serious contenders? Are they now the scariest team for that 2-seed in the East? Boston, who has two April matchups against Miami, will have a lot to say about it.
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