NBA Rumors: Jae Crowder, Kings Nearing Contract After Bucks, Suns Stints

The Sacramento Kings are close to landing a veteran to help bolster their roster.

Per ESPN's Shams Charania, the Kings and free agent forward Jae Crowder are "close to a deal." Crowder, a 13-year veteran, played for the Milwaukee Bucks during the 2023-24 season.

According to Charania, Crowder could play as early as Wednesday's matchup against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Crowder, a second-round pick in the 2012 NBA draft, has averaged 9.3 points, 4.2 boards, 1.6 assists and a steal over his career. His best years came when he was with the Boston Celtics as he averaged around 14 points and five rebounds per game across the 2015-16 and 2016-17 seasons.

Crowder helped the Miami Heat reach the NBA Finals in 2020 before joining the Phoenix Suns for their Finals run the following season.

Last season with the Bucks, Crowder put up 6.2 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game while playing 23.1 minutes per contest. He spent half of the season coming off the bench and half of the season in the starting lineup.

While Crowder might not be the difference in the Kings becoming a championship team, Sacramento could use a veteran like Crowder amid a sluggish start to the year. The Kings, who have dealt with a handful of injuries to start the year, are 8-10 and have lost four straight.

They added a star DeMar DeRozan to play alongside De'Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis, but the new roster hasn't found much success so far. They'll look to Crowder to help push them in the right direction.