Phoenix Suns forward Jae Crowder is in the third and final year of his $29.2 million contract and was looking for a contract extension, but the Suns haven’t been overly forthcoming with one, as they don’t know how much playing time they will have . of him, plus the situation of him with the cap.
Crowder, 32, and the Suns reached an agreement where he would sit out the game, à la Ben Simmons, until they could find a suitable trade, so he didn’t play a game all season, and that really put him off. shocked an anonymous general manager.
“He said he won’t play unless he gets a contract extension that he wants,” the general manager he told heavy sports. I think many teams are turned off by this itself. Like what? Don’t you want to play for one of the best teams in the NBA and prove yourself so that you can get a contract next year? Like, you’re not that good, bro. What you are doing?’ It’s a strange dynamic. It’s one thing for Kevin Durant to hang on because he doesn’t get paid enough, but Jae Crowder? Really?”
is informed by Marc Stein that the Suns recently turned down a trade offer from Wizards for Crowder with the deal involving Rui Hachimura.
Phoenix refusing a move with Hachimura makes sense with his current wing spin setup. Crowder was a key member of their Finals squad in 2021, so trading him for a fourth winger doesn’t seem like a huge signing.
Crowder’s scoring and shooting numbers dipped slightly last season after he averaged 9.4 points and 5.3 rebounds in 67 games, but he was complemented by the likes of Chris Paul and Devin Booker.
Right now, he could help Phoenix make the playoffs, as they dropped to fourth in the West and struggled to win games without Booker and Cameron Payne.
“I just don’t get it and I’m not alone,” continued the general manager. “He was playing a great role and fit into his team, and they are a good team. And he was surrounded by great players who could have made him look better. All you have to do is roll 40 percent from three and play the part you’ve always played, and you’ll probably get paid. If it’s not for Phoenix, then someone is going to pay you. He just had to play the year and prove he’s a great leader and has a great attitude.”
