The Phoenix Suns are facing the prospect of losing Cameron Johnson for the next couple of months due to surgery to remove his meniscus.
Johnson has been a helpful part of the team and has started in every game of the season so far.
The loss of him isn’t as devastating as, say, Chris Paul or Devin Booker, but it obviously isn’t ideal.
So, how do the Suns plan to move on without Johnson?
Per @WindhorstESPN, Cam Johnson's injury does not change anything about Jae Crowder's status with the Suns.
"… there are no current plans for him to return to the team, sources said."https://t.co/lOGSIMsV23
— Sarah Kezele (@SarahKezele) November 8, 2022
They have a few options moving forward to fill the void left by Johnson.
However, none of them are calling upon Jae Crowder.
Brian Windhorst’s inside reporting suggests that Crowder will not return to the team, even though he is still technically part of the roster.
“There are no current plans for him to return to the team,” Windhorst said.
It sounds like the relationship between Crowder and the Suns is completely broken and nothing will mend it again.
So, why hasn’t he moved to another team yet?
Crowder Carrying On
Crowder was a crucial part of the team for several years but a few months ago, it became clear that he wasn’t going to stick around in Phoenix.
The Suns were changing direction and weren’t going to rely on him as they did before.
Crowder wasn’t happy with that and decided he’d rather be traded than sit on the bench.
Since then, several teams have inquired about Crowder but the Suns haven’t committed to any package.
This is likely because Crowder is still a very talented player and Phoenix wants to receive as much as they can for him.
Some thought that Johnson’s injury would give Phoenix second thoughts about trading away Crowder.
But that clearly isn’t the case and Crowder will remain out of rotation.
NEXT: The Suns Are Losing An Important Part Of The Roster