Getty Jae Crowder #99 of the Phoenix Suns reacts to a three-point shot against the Dallas Mavericks
There have been growing whispers about the availability of Jae Crowder throughout the offseason. The chances of him being traded away from the Phoneix Suns further increased when it was announced that Crowder would not be taking part in training camp. The veteran is working with the team to ensure he finds a new team to play for ahead of the 2022-23 season.
While many Sixers fans jumped at the thought of adding Crowder to their current roster, this concept was shot down shortly after. Paul Hudrick, Editor-in-chief of Liberty Ballers, took to Twitter to proclaim that Daryl Morey and the front office may not be moving with the motivation that fans hope.
The Sixers are not in on Jae Crowder, according to a source. Obviously the Suns are aggressively trying to move him.
Why Crowder Would Make Sense:
The theme of the Sixers’ offseason has been adding toughness. The additions of PJ Tucker, De’Anthony Melton, Danuel House, and Montrezl Harrell all embody the toughness that Joel Embiid publically acknowledged the team lacked following last year’s disappointing postseason exit.
Crowder is the exact type of player that fits this bill and has plenty of postseason experience. The 32-year-old has played in 107 postseason games including making the NBA Finals in 2020 and 2021. Throughout his career, he has averaged 9.6 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.6 assists while connecting on 34.6% of his three-point attempts per game.
His proven postseason track record, hard-nosed attitude, and fit as a stretch forward all hold appeal on the Sixers. The Philadelphia roster also currently has 17 players and will need to trim down to 15 ahead of the start of the regular season. Trading away multiple players in exchange for a singular rotation piece would help them to get under this cap. Crowder holds the type of contract which makes this possible, and mock trades that would accomplish this have been circulating the internet.
Why the Sixers Don’t Need Crowder
There is such a thing as too much of a good thing. While the mentality that Crowder brings would likely still be a positive, his positional fit is less clear. Looking at the Sixers’ current roster, Tobias Harris, PJ Tucker, and Georges Niang are all clean fits in this stretch-forward role. Paul Reed and Montrezl Harrell will also be in the mix and have a chance to play power forward alongside Embiid.
Many portray Crowder as a player capable of playing either forward position, but he is certainly at his best when at power forward. Last season with the Suns he played just 21 possessions as the small forward. There has already been concern about the fit of Tucker and Harris on the court together and adding another similar skillset with Jae Crowder would not make much sense for the team.
Daryl Morey and the rest of the front office have already dug into just about all their assets to put together an ideal offseason. Making the move to add Crowder would likely be the final move possible and he does not seem to be the type of missing piece that a move like this would indicate. Morey has proven to be patient in the past and may value waiting to see how the team looks on the court before making this type of move.
The writing is on the wall for Jae Crowder’s time on Phoneix and there likely will be more clarity on where he will land in the coming days. The Sixers have done a tremendous job of adding win-now and well-fitting role players already this offseason. While Crowder may fit this description and would be a fan favorite, it appears a trade to Philadelphia may not be in the cards.