Jae Crowder is an ideal veteran big-man for any contending team in the NBA. Not only does he play extremely gritty defense and acts as the enforcer for his team, but he is also capable of making big shots when called upon. He went to consecutive NBA Finals in 2020 and 2021, achieving the latter with his current team, Phoenix Suns.
However, it seems Crowder may be dissatisfied with being in Phoenix. He had made a cryptic tweet earlier this offseason about wanting a change, but the Suns didn’t end up trading him away. Crowder left the Miami Heat after their 2020 Finals run to join the Suns, but it seems like his attachment with the Arizona-based team has come to an end.
In an Instagram post, Crowder pinned the top comment of a fan who asked the Miami Heat to bring Crowder back. The Heat have been linked to re-acquiring their former power forward. Could Jae’s IG indicate that Jae is pushing for a move away back to the Heat, or was he just appreciating a fan that remembers his contributions to the Heat 2020 Finals run?
Jae Crowder pinned this comment on Instagram telling Miami to bring him back 👀
(h/t @HeatAccess) pic.twitter.com/279pFuaZXk
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) August 31, 2022
Crowder is not the same player he was in 2020, but he has had 2 productive seasons with the Suns. He has been crucial in the front court as he is able to switch onto smaller players and be able to guard them relatively well. He didn’t perform well in the season gone by, averaging 9.4 points on below 40% shooting from both the field and 3.
Regardless, Crowder is a key piece to making the Suns lineup feasible on the court. It seems he has been angling to leave the team all offseason, but the franchise hasn’t moved him. There has been no official trade request reported from Crowder’s camp, but his behavior is interesting.
The Heat have little depth, especially in the frontcourt. Crowder could fit right back into his old role. Considering the Heat were a Game 7 away from the NBA Finals, adding Crowder could help them unless he shoots like he did last season with Phoenix.
