Jae Crowder is nearing his return to the league.
According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, the veteran is close to closing a deal with the Sacramento Kings this offseason. The specifics of this deal are still unknown. However, he is 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 the first overall pick of the Cleveland Cavaliers in the second round of the 2012 draft, will join his ninth team in the league when his deal with the Kings becomes official. He averaged 6.2 points and 3.2 rebounds per game last season in Milwaukee.
Crowder has helped lead both the Miami Heat and the Phoenix Suns to the NBA Finals in previous years, though he has yet to win a title. Crowder became a free agent last season and worked out with the Kings over the summer, though he was unable to strike a deal to land with any team.
The Kings have been dealing with serious injuries and had lost seven of their last 10 games entering Wednesday’s game in Minnesota. Forward Trey Lyles is out at least three weeks with a right calf strain suffered 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 out. Third-year coach Mike Brown was fined $35,000 on Tuesday after he chased an official during Sunday’s loss to the Brooklyn Nets.
While it’s still unclear what his role will be with the franchise, Crowder should be able to provide needed depth in the frontcourt behind Keegan Murray and Domantas Sabonis for at least the near future. We’ll see if he’s the missing piece that pulls the Kings out of the doldrums.