If the offseason wasn’t dramatic enough for the Phoenix Suns, it appears that the team will be without one of its top performers from recent seasons. Forward Jae Crowder, one of the top-tier role-playing fours in basketball, has become a staple of the NBA Playoffs. The veteran journeyman’s teams haven’t missed the postseason since he was a rookie in 2013.
Crowder does the dirty work on every team he plays for. He’s a dedicated defender at 6-foot-6 with a stout frame and broad shoulders. He’s a competitor on the glass, defends multiple positions and spaces the floor as a league-average 3-point shooter with the upside to nail many threes in succession. During his second season with the Suns, Crowder was a vital piece of the puzzle culminating in a league-leading 64-win record.
After just two seasons in the Valley, Jae Crowder is back on the NBA trade block.
Jae Crowder won’t report to Phoenix Suns training camp, seeks an NBA trade.
The 32-year-old is in a contract year seeking what might be his last significant payday before perhaps concluding his prime playing years. As reported by John Gambadoro of 98.7 FM Arizona Sports, Crowder sought an extension to remain a Phoenix Sun, but discussions broke down as the team shifted its focus elsewhere. The Suns insider also suggested that the team planned to bring him off the bench instead of starting as he did through his first two seasons in Phoenix.
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At the time of Crowder’s contract negotiations, the Phoenix Suns were dealing with an entirely different issue in the form of Robert Sarver’s investigation and dramatic exit. With the franchise in flux, and its cap sheet locked up from matching Deandre Ayton’s new deal in free agency, there wasn’t enough initiative taken to extend the Bossman. Though he’s not a big-name player, Crowder has a proven track record and enough success to draw interest from Playoff teams.