Phoenix Suns: 5 Underrated Transactions That Built This NBA Finals Team
By Karan Jain
Phoenix Suns Underrated Transaction #5: Signing Jae Crowder
A few days after trading for Paul, the Suns made another move that showed their ambitions for contention. During the 2020 free agency period, Phoenix signed recent NBA Finals participant Jae Crowder to a three-year, 29 million dollar deal.
For the Suns, Crowder typically plays at the power forward position, and works as an ideal three-and-D wing. But his experience and leadership for a generally young team has also been very important.
In the playoffs, Crowder has stepped up in some monumental games. During the closeout Game 6 vs the Los Angeles Lakers, Crowder’s 6-9 shooting from outside with an absurd 100.0 true shooting percentage really helped the team. His elite perimeter defense played a key role in slowing down LeBron James and allowing the Suns to consequently move on.
In another closeout Game 6, this time against the Clippers, Crowder again put on a show, scoring 19 points on 80.0 percent true shooting. It sent him to his second straight NBA Finals, and the first for Phoenix since 1993.