Could Sixers Have Interest in Phoenix Suns’ Jae Crowder?

Jae Crowder is expected to part ways with the Phoenix Suns. Should the Sixers inquire?

The Phoenix Suns are expected to spend time working on shopping the veteran forward Jae Crowder this offseason. 

According to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, Crowder and Phoenix have “mutually agreed” that he would not participate in training camp. The two parties aren’t working on a new deal either. Instead, the Suns will search to trade the veteran.

The 32-year-old veteran joined the Suns ahead of the 2020-2021 season. Out of the 60 games Crowder appeared in during his debut season in Phoenix, he started in 42 matchups. During that time, Crowder averaged ten points and four rebounds while draining close to 40 percent of his threes.

While his 2021 playoff performance wasn’t his career-best, Crowder was essential to Phoenix’s NBA Finals run, which lasted 22 games before the Milwaukee Bucks defeated the Suns for the NBA title.

Last season, Crowder started in all 67 games he appeared in with the Suns. His scoring average took a slight dip to nine points per game. Crowder’s three-point percentage also slightly declined as he drained 34 percent of his long-range shots. 

The veteran forward remains a valuable piece to a championship-contending franchise, but it seems Crowder and the Suns are on the path to parting ways as Crowder’s cryptic Twitter message indicates he no longer feels wanted in Phoenix.

ONE MUST SEEK WORK WHERE HE IS WANTED.. WHERE HE IS NEEDED.! I AM THANKFUL FOR WHAT THESE PAST 2 YRS HAVE TAUGHT ME.! NOW I MUST TAKE ON ANOTHER CHALLENGE WITH CONTINUED HARDWORK & DEDICATION.! FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO CLOSED THE DOOR ON ME…. THANK YOU! 99 BACK SOON.! 🥷🏾🤫🤐

— JAE CROWDER (@CJC9BOSS) September 25, 2022

Following a run with the Memphis Grizzlies and the Miami Heat, Crowder inked a three-year deal with the Suns ahead of the 2020-2021 season.

At this point, the veteran is entering his final year before becoming an unrestricted free agent and is expected to be paid a little over $10 million for the season.

Should the Sixers Inquire?

The Philadelphia 76ers look like a complete roster as of now. Going into the 2022 offseason, Daryl Morey and Philly’s front office were urged to sign some “tough guys,” as Joel Embiid put it.

The veteran forward P.J. Tucker was the Sixers’ biggest acquisition on the free agency market. They also added a high-energy veteran guard by trading for De’Anthony Melton. 

While it seemed the Sixers were content with sticking with Paul Reed and Charles Bassey behind Embiid for the time being, Philly made a recent signing by bringing on Montrezl Harrell just weeks before camp.

The Sixers could use a player like Crowder, as the small forward position has question marks. While Tucker is likely to start for the 76ers, there are question marks beyond him.

Matisse Thybulle’s defense has helped him garner a role in the rotation over the years, but his lack of offensive value makes him more of a situational player than anything. Then, there’s Furkan Korkmaz, who has struggled to show consistency on the offensive end over the years.

The Sixers have high hopes for the newly-acquired Danuel House Jr., but it’s unclear what he will bring to the table as of right now.

Crowder would undoubtedly boost the Sixers’ title odds, but Paul Hudrick of SB Nation’s Liberty Ballers reports that Philly is “not in on” Jae Crowder at this time.

While that could change as the Suns aggressively shop around the veteran, the Sixers are most likely content with their current roster and willing to see it through as training camp approaches.

Recently, only one team has been linked to Crowder as trade talks begin to heat up. According to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, the Utah Jazz discussed a possible Crowder deal involving Bojan Bogdanovic. At this point, those talks have dissolved as the Jazz sent Bogdanovic in another direction.

While it's unclear which teams are planning to join the market for Crowder, Charania hints that several teams such as the Boston Celtics, Memphis Grizzlies, Dallas Mavericks, and the Heat could be on his radar. 

With training camps across the league beginning this week, Crowder’s market could soon heat up as teams realize they’ll need to upgrade the forward position. 

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for All76ers, a Sports Illustrated channel. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.