Before the 2022-23 season, Jae Crowder refused to play for the Phoenix Suns. Two years later, it took until the week of Thanksgiving before he was close to securing an NBA job.
The Sacramento Kings are reportedly close to bringing in the 34-year-old Crowder after injuries sidelined forwards DeMar DeRozan and Trey Lyles, the latter of whom will be out at least three weeks. Crowder spent last season and the end of the 2022-23 season with the Milwaukee Bucks, where he averaged 6.4 points and 3.4 rebounds.
Crowder went to the NBA Finals in consecutive years with the Miami Heat and Phoenix Suns. But after the Suns lost in the second round of the 2022 playoffs, Crowder learned he was going to lose his starting spot to Cam Johnson for 2022-23. He also wasn’t getting a contract extension.
So Crowder stayed home awaiting a trade, though he denied that his eventual departure had anything to do with losing his starting job, and reports stated he wasn’t upset over money.
That trade finally arrived when the Suns made a blockbuster deal for Kevin Durant, which sent Crowder to Brooklyn alongside Mikal Bridges, Johnson and a generous selection of draft picks. Ironically, had he stuck with the team, Crowder probably would have had his starting spot back with Johnson gone instead of becoming a throw-in to the trade.
The Bucks traded five second-round picks to get Crowder, but he never played a lot, perhaps due to the rust from sitting out for six months. In the playoffs, Crowder only appeared in four games and averaged 1.8 points. After the season, he got a new deal from Milwaukee — for the veteran minimum.
Now, Crowder has a chance to earn another veteran’s minimum if he can provide help as a backup forward who can shoot threes for the Kings. But two years after being a starter on a 64-win Suns team, it’s a huge step down for a player whose pride seemingly cost him dearly.
