Trade rumor rankings: John Collins, Jae Crowder and more
It’s time for another edition of our trade rumors rankings series where we rank the five players who have appeared most often in trade rumors over the past week, as judged by appearances on our trade rumors page.
The name at the top of this list will surprise no one, as it is a player who has been a source of trade scuttle dating back to the offseason and yet to play in the 2022-23 campaign.
However, there are some other surprises on this list, so be sure to scroll down and check out the latest installment of our trade rumor rankings.
Grayson Allen (Milwaukee)
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Grayson Allen has come up via multiple sources this week as a player with the potential to be traded.
For starters, our very own Michael Scotto discussed the possibility of Allen going to the Phoenix Suns as part of a larger Jae Crowder deal, a player we’ll discuss in more detail later:
Bucks guard Grayson Allen was discussed in trade talks for Suns forward Jae Crowder, league sources told HoopsHype. With Pat Connaughton set to return to action, Allen could become expendable for Milwaukee with the Bucks searching for frontcourt help.
The problem is, according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, the Suns are not interested in Allen:
Brian Windhorst: The problem is, I don’t think that the Suns want Grayson Allen and that’s not a perfect swap for them. So there’s been some attempts to bring in a third team and I always say a three-team trade is a no-team trade. Obviously, they happen, they happen every year. But trust me, a huge percentage of the three-team trades die, because it’s so very hard to satisfy all three parties.
Allen is coming off a disappointing 2021-22 campaign and has only played in three games this year, so it may not be that easy for the Bucks to find him a new home.
For the latest Grayson Allen trade rumors, click here.
Bogdan Bogdanovic (Atlanta)
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Another injured guard to come up in the news lately in trade reports is Atlanta Hawks guard Bogdan Bogdanovic, who has yet to see action this season as he recovers from a knee injury.
Bogdanovic, however, is coming off a solid year, one that saw him average 15.1 points and 4.0 rebounds while shooting 36.8 percent from three.
As such, there is some interest in him as a trade target, especially as the Hawks try to save money on luxury taxes. According to Scotto:
Following the four-year, $95 million extension with forward De’Andre Hunter, rival NBA executives believe Atlanta will likely have to part with either forward John Collins, swingman Bogdan Bogdanovic, or center Clint Capela to avoid looming luxury tax concerns next season. With former sixth overall pick Onyeka Okongwu waiting in the wings, executives seeking frontcourt upgrades are monitoring the trade availability of Collins and Capela. Collins is shooting a career-low 23.4 percent from three-point range and averaging 12.4 points, his lowest scoring output since his rookie season. According to Scotto Bogdanovic is owed $18 million this season and has an $18 million player option for the 2023-24 season.
The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor also discussed Bogdanovic’s trade chances this week, stating that he remains on the Suns’ radar:
League sources say Bogdanovic remains on Phoenix’s radar; he checks a lot of boxes as a shooter, ball handler, and rock-solid defender. But he hasn’t played yet this season while recovering from offseason knee surgery.
With the Hawks off to a solid start this year and having acquired Dejounte Murray to co-author Atlanta’s backcourt this offseason, look for Bogdanovic to remain in trade scuttle going forward.
For the latest Bogdan Bogdanovic rumors, click here.
Immanuel Quickley (New York)
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The New York Knicks have some interesting young pieces, among them, 2-guard Immanuel Quickley. And yet, Quickley is only getting 22.8 minutes nightly so far this season and putting up humble 9.1 points and 4.6 rebounds while shooting 37.9 percent from the floor, 30.9 percent from three.
Quickley’s name has been one to come up in consistent trade rumors over the past few months. That doesn’t mean the Knicks are trying to sell low, though, as The Athletic’s Fred Katz reported this week that New York wants at least a future first-round pick in exchange for the former Kentucky standout:
Whatever the specific reasons the Knicks have for listening to offers on Quickley, remember how moves of the past have fit into Plan A. The Knicks churned the 19th selection in 2021 into a future first-rounder because, at the time, they believed the hopes and dreams that draft picks represent would be more attractive in a trade for a star than the certainty of an actual human, which is what they would have had if they’d drafted at No. 19. According to sources around the league, the Knicks have targeted a future first-round pick in a return for Quickley, who is extension-eligible this upcoming summer.
Shams Charania likewise reported that New York is listening on Quickley offers:
The Knicks have shown a willingness to discuss Derrick Rose and Immanuel Quickley in trade talks, league sources say, as a way to sort out the team’s glut at the guard position over the course of the season.
Quickley, now 23, remains a young, interesting guard with upside as a scorer, so we’ll see if New York does get the first-rounder it covets if Quickley gets moved.
For the latest Immanuel Quickley rumors, click here.
John Collins (Atlanta)
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John Collins has been a constant in trade rumors for at least a year, if not longer, and that hasn’t slowed down of late, even after the Hawks extended him this summer.
According to Bleacher Report’s Jake Fischer, the Utah Jazz are one team with an interest in the floor-spacing, rim-rattling Collins:
But what if Utah is no longer content with joining the race for prized prospect Victor Wembanyama? The Jazz’s interest in Hawks forward John Collins is real, league sources said, and would seem to indicate Utah considering how to add to this winning unit rather than subtract from it. Right now, the likelihood of Collins landing in Salt Lake City, though, seems low. Atlanta approached the Jazz about swapping Collins for Markkanen, sources said, which did not generate any traction.
Marc Stein likewise mentioned Utah as a potential suitor with an interest in Collins.
One team that doesn’t appear to be interested in Collins, however, is Phoenix, at least according to Fischer:
While Atlanta remains one of the teams in the mix for Phoenix swingman Jae Crowder, league sources said the Suns have shown no desire to shoulder the remaining four seasons of the five-year, $125 million deal Collins signed after the Hawks’ run to the 2021 Eastern Conference finals. That seems to be the consensus among rival executives.
We’ll see what happens, but after years of Collins rumors, we’ll have to see it to believe it as far as his prospects of actually getting traded.
For the latest John Collins rumors, click here.
Jae Crowder (Phoenix)
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The Suns announced that Crowder would be away from the team until Phoenix was able to find him a new home. As of yet, that has not happened.
Recently, Bleacher Report mentioned three interested suitors for Crowder: the Bucks, Hawks and Golden State Warriors. According to Eric Pincus:
Buzz permeated NBA circles over the past week that the Phoenix Suns are close to finding a deal for veteran Jae Crowder, who has been working out away from the team all season, staying in shape for an eventual trade. The Suns have several suitors, including the Milwaukee Bucks, Atlanta Hawks and Golden State Warriors. One executive told B/R that the final result could be a multi-team trade with three, four or even five NBA franchises.
It was reported last week that the Suns came close to landing a three-team trade for Crowder, though it ultimately seemed to fall through. The team that would have been landing Crowder in that deal? Milwaukee, according to Fischer:
Crowder’s other main suitor, sources told Yahoo Sports, is Milwaukee. Last week, word spread among league personnel that a three-team structure with the Bucks ultimately landing Crowder was gaining momentum, although clearly no deal came to fruition. Rival front offices have been contacted as part of various three-team frameworks that would send Crowder outbound, sources said.
Our own Scotto mentioned more suitors for Crowder recently, too:
Jae Crowder is the player executives around the league are monitoring closely as the player most likely to be traded. Despite Cameron Johnson’s torn meniscus that’s expected to sideline him 1-2 months, there’s still no expectation Crowder will return to the Suns. Several teams, including the Bucks, Hawks, Heat, and others, have expressed interest in Crowder.
We’ll see how much longer this one plays out, but there’s little doubt Crowder will be dealt at some point before the trade deadline.
For the latest Jae Crowder rumors, click here.
