Jae Crowder Speaks to B/R, Says Teammates Support and Miss Him

The Phoenix Suns power forward spoke with Bleacher Report's Chris Haynes and said he felt blindsided by the team's decision.

The Phoenix Suns and Jae Crowder have been divorced for some time now, although Crowder has yet to officially move on to a new team. 

It's been like that since a mutually-agreed absence prior to Media Day has left Crowder out of action for the 2022-23 season. We've reached the halfway point of the year with less than a month until the league's Feb. 9 trade deadline, and no resolution has come about. 

In a recent story compiled by Bleacher Report NBA insider Chris Haynes, he spoke with teammate Mikal Bridges and Crowder himself on the current situation.

"That's one of our leaders," Bridges told Haynes. "I texted him not too long ago and told him how much I miss him. That's my guy. It's the NBA. It happens. I know he wants to be here, but it's the league. That's just how it is sometimes. This is my fifth year in the league, and I understand how it could be. You've got to protect yourself sometimes. We'll love to have him here, but we get it."

The Suns could certainly use any healthy and capable bodies at the moment, as four-of-five starters have been out for at least the last two games due to injury. Phoenix fielded just nine players in matchups against Golden State/Denver. 

The Suns are under .500 and have underachieved to epic proportions considering recent success, talent on the roster and how they started the season. Some would like Crowder back on the roster, but that's not happening. 

"I've spoken to every player that I've played with on that team and they all have stressed how much they miss [me] and respect my decision, and I'm thankful for their understanding," Crowder said to Haynes via text message. "This move of pushing me out the door was a blindsided hit to not only me but my teammates, as you can see from speaking to them and myself and the conversations we've had behind closed doors."

Reports vary on what exactly happened during the offseason, but common belief is the Suns didn't want to extend Crowder, who was looking for a new contract at the age of 32-years-old. He's on the last year of his deal and was replaced in favor of Cam Johnson in the starting lineup. 

"I will continue to prepare myself daily for battle once the call is made and continue to be a leader on the court, locker room, as well as off the court. I am thankful my teammates appreciated my leadership. I'm confused and hurt my coaches didn't appreciate the things I brought to our team and organization. And this has nothing to do with financial or contract differences," said Crowder. 

Suns general manager James Jones has just a few weeks to offload Crowder, and while there's nothing but love between teammates, there's still a rather large riff between the power forward and the front office.