Rumor: Suns interested in trading for Boston Celtics sixth man

Any fanbase that believes its team is experiencing dysfunction — the Houdini is looking squarely at you Boston Celtics fans — has nothing on the Suns. Between their owner being forced to sell the team after ugly accusations of misconduct and several players having issues with the team’s brain trust, Phoenix is suffering both on and off the court right now.

Of course, the Suns’ exhibition loss to the Adelaide 36ers of the NBL will be a distant memory if the team gets it together in 2022-23, but that only happens if the Deandre Ayton drama cools off and the team can find a suitable trade partner for their disgruntled forward Jae Crowder.

For Crowder, there’s nothing making him want to stick around on a team that is less than a year and a half removed from an NBA Finals appearance. Until a deal is found shipping him out of the desert, Crowder will be a healthy scratch.

Among the possible landing spots for the 32-year-old is a reunion with the Celtics. Crowder could fill a valuable second unit wing role that is currently unoccupied in the wake of TPMLE signing Danilo Gallinari’s season-ending ACL tear, but the price is likely a problem the Cs will be unable to circumvent.

Phoenix reportedly covets a player Boston is unwilling to give up, according to Yahoo Sports’ Jake Fischer — that being Celtics sixth man Derrick White:

"“…it’s believed the Suns have interest in Derrick White. However, Boston just sent a first-round pick plus a future pick swap to San Antonio for his services in February. The Celtics aren’t involved in Crowder’s trade situation at this time either, sources said.”"

The Boston Celtics unlikely to extend Grant Williams

There’s been a very notable pivot in reporting on a potential Boston Celtics contract extension for Grant Williams. Pundits were trying to nail down the price for the fourth-year combo big as recently as Monday, but Jake Fischer dropped this nugget in his reporting that casts doubt on Williams being rewarded a deal before the 2022-23 season begins:

"“There does not seem to be an extension coming for forward Grant Williams, sources said.”"

Williams now has the chance to raise his next deal’s projections even more with the opportunity to draw a poison pill offer sheet next summer from another team. If Williams isn’t extended, Boston Celtics President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens and interim head coach Joe Mazzulla better do everything possible to keep the Tennessee product happy this coming campaign.