Jae Crowder is nearing a return to the league.
The veteran forward is close to striking a deal to join the Sacramento Kings this season, according to ESPN's Shams Charania. Specifics of that deal are still unknown. He is, however, expected to be available as soon as Wednesday's game against the Minnesota Timberwolves in Minneapolis.
Crowder, 34, spent the last two seasons with the Milwaukee Bucks. The 13-year veteran, who was first selected in the second round of the 2012 draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers, will join his ninth team in the league once his deal with the Kings is official. He averaged 6.2 points and 3.2 rebounds per game last season in Milwaukee.
Crowder helped lead both the Miami Heat and the Phoenix Suns to the NBA Finals in back-to-back years, though he’s yet to win a championship. Crowder became a free agent this past offseason, and he worked out with the Kings over the summer, though he was unable to strike a deal to land with any team.
The Kings are dealing with significant injuries, and have lost seven of their last 10 games entering Wednesday's contest in Minnesota. Forward Trey Lyles is out for at least three weeks with a right calf strain, which he sustained in Monday's loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. DeMar DeRozan will also miss Wednesday's game with lower back muscle inflammation, though it's unknown how long he'll be sidelined. Third-year coach Mike Brown was fined $35,000 on Tuesday after he chased down an official in their loss to the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday, too.
Though it’s unclear what his role will be with the franchise just yet, Crowder should be able to provide some much-needed depth in the frontcourt behind Keegan Murray and Domantas Sabonis at least in the near future. We’ll see if he’s the missing piece to lift the Kings out of their slump.
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