Should Phoenix Suns hold patient with Crowder in hope of All-Star target?

We’re officially seven days away from the start of the Phoenix Suns 2022-23 season, yet there’s no resolution to the future of veteran forward Jae Crowder. A multitude of teams have reported interest in the 32-year-old, including Eastern Conference contenders the Milwaukee Bucks, Miami Heat and Atlanta Hawks.

The Suns were hoping to make a deal before the start of the season, but the delay is almost a certain signifier the franchise is unwilling to trade Crowder without reasonable return.

Should the Phoenix Suns stay patient with Jae Crowder in the hope an All-Star calibre becomes available over the coming months?

Crowder’s absence has already been felt at times during the preseason, with the Suns missing a defensive edge the Bossman brought over his two seasons at the franchise. Most trade suggestions have the Suns bringing back a similar or lower level player, which is generally the case when a player requests a trade.

That’s the likely scenario if Phoenix want to orchestrate a trade in the short-term, but perhaps they’re better staying patient and making a deal on their own terms. The Suns want to upgrade their roster after all, not lessen their championship capacity while elevating another’s.

While Crowder doesn’t hold enormous value, his $10.1 million deal is significant when discussing the aggregation of salaries. He also holds value to certain teams, which is why we’ve seen contenders reportedly interested.

What if the Draymond Green situation didn’t resolve at the Golden State Warriors? Coach Steve Kerr confirmed his pending return last night, but there’s still a lot to play out after his altercation with Jordan Poole last week.

The idea of Green has split Suns fans, yet there’s no doubt he’d be a valuable addition purely from an on-court standpoint. In such a situation, Crowder would be an attractive option for the Warriors as someone who can fill the power-forward role in a similarly tough and experienced fashion. A deal of Crowder, Dario Saric and a minimum salary isn’t great, but it’s all they may get if they desperately want him out and the fact Green can opt out of his contract after this season.

There’s no suggestion anything like this will take place, but it’s presenting hypothetical scenarios that could become viable if the Suns remain patient with the Crowder process. For now, James Jones faces a balance between finding value for his wantaway forward and making sure he doesn’t leave the current roster undermanned.