Suns holding Crowder out of camp amid trade search
The Phoenix Suns reached a mutual agreement with Jae Crowder to hold the forward out of training camp as Phoenix attempts to trade the veteran, the team announced.
Crowder joined the Suns as a free agent in November 2020, just over a month removed from helping the Miami Heat reach the NBA Finals in the Orlando bubble. In his first year in Phoenix, he made a second consecutive Finals appearance but again lost in the championship round as the Milwaukee Bucks bested the Suns.
The 32-year-old is earning $10.2 million this upcoming season and is in the final year of the three-year deal he penned with Phoenix.
When asked if he would welcome a trade back to the Heat, a source close to Crowder said, "of course," according to Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press.
Across two campaigns in the desert, Crowder has averaged 9.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 1.1 steals in 127 games, making 109 starts. He was named to the starting five in all 67 of his regular-season appearances last year, averaging 28.1 minutes per contest as Phoenix topped the NBA with a 64-18 record. That run continued in the playoffs, with Crowder starting all 13 postseason contests before the Dallas Mavericks eliminated Phoenix in Game 7 of the second round.
The Suns' training camp opens Tuesday.