Phoenix Suns forward Jae Crowder offered a subtle hint on social media that the Miami Heat should again consider acquiring him either this season or after when he becomes a free agent.
Crowder has been with the Suns for the past two seasons, but cracks in that relationship have apparently surfaced during the offseason. That’s led to speculation that the veteran may be seeking a return to the Heat, with the team possibly pursuing such a deal.
The 32-year-old Crowder, who’s been in the NBA since the 2012-13 season, was acquired by the Heat in February 2020 as part of a three-way deal that also included Andre Iguodala and Solomon Hill joining the franchise.
Short Stint
Just over a month after that trade, the NBA shut down its season in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. When play resumed in late July of that year, Crowder played an effective role as the Heat navigated their way to a finals berth.
However, during the brief offseason that followed, Crowder chose to enter free agency and subsequently sign with the Suns. He signed a three-year deal that will be ending at the conclusion of the 2022-23 campaign.
Crowder’s departure from the Heat worked out well during his first year in the Valley of the Sun. That’s because Crowder was once again part of a franchise that reached the finals, while the Heat made a quick exit in the postseason.
Last year, the Suns stumbled in the Western Conference semifinals, losing to the Dallas Mavericks in seven games. In that seventh game, the Suns endured the humiliation of getting blown out in the first half and were never able to recover.
Crowder then offered a cryptic tweet on Aug. 1 that seemed to make his future with the Suns uncertain.
In the final year of Crowder’s three-year deal with the Suns, he’ll be making just under $10.2 million. In any potential deal, Crowder’s modest statistics seemingly wouldn’t require the Heat to give up a great deal of return.
Given the fact that Crowder has yet to come right out and say he wants to be dealt, speculation about his future will likely to continue to flourish.
Training camps begin in less than a month, so whether Crowder ends up donning a Heat jersey is a question that still might not be answered even by then.