It was a wild off-season for the Phoenix Suns.
They waited until the eleventh hour to re-sign Deandre Ayton, Chris Paul said he didn’t learn anything from their playoff loss to the Dallas Mavericks, and Jae Crowder took to social media to take shots at the team.
Perhaps, Crowder’s story was the craziest of all.
He simply refused to show up to training camp and vowed to sit out unless he got the contract extension he desired or was traded away from the team.
Fast-forward to today, and it’s more than evident that there’s not much of a market for him, at least not under his proposed terms.
However, The Athletic’s Shams Charania recently clarified that the Suns are still trying to move Crowder, with the Milwaukee Bucks, Miami Heat, and Atlanta Hawks as potential suitors:
“The Suns remain engaged with multiple teams about moving Jae Crowder,” Charania said. “They’re talking to Milwaukee right now, Miami, Atlanta, and I was told recently Utah, Phoenix, and Atlanta — that deal would’ve sent John Collins to Utah. Those three teams discussed a potential deal in the last month or so and I’m told the deal failed to gain traction when Utah asked for multiple first-round picks on this potential deal.”
“Utah, Phoenix and Atlanta …those three teams discussed a potential deal. I’m told the deal failed to gain traction when Utah asked for multiple first-round picks.”
NBA Insider @ShamsCharania reports on Suns‘ Jae Crowder (@CJC9BOSS) and his value as well as Hawks‘ John Collins. pic.twitter.com/0btQBLuGDK
— The Rally (@TheRally) December 26, 2022
Not to disrespect Crowder, a serviceable 3-and-D veteran and a guy who’s used to playing for contenders, but if Kevin Durant couldn’t get his wish, what made him think 29 teams would jump the gun and make a run at him right away?
Multiple teams have expressed concerns about trading for Crowder now, and rightfully so.
But then again, his skillset should be highly-coveted among contending teams, so it’s just a matter of time before he leaves the desert.
NEXT: Should Fans Be Concerned With Devin Booker's Injury?