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NBA Veteran Doubles-Down On Rift That Led To Suns Trade

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Former Phoenix Suns head coach Monty Williams

The Phoenix Suns are quite familiar with drama.

Just this month, the popular franchise was reportedly making rounds, searching for a trade partner for Bradley Beal or Kevin Durant. Last summer, they fired veteran head coach Frank Vogel, replacing him with Mike Budenholzer. The prior offseason, they traded Chris Paul and Deandre Ayton after dismissing decorated head coach Monty Williams.

All of these episodes were must-see TV for the people who enjoy the NBA’s sitcom. However, while players and coaches may just be names and faces to fans, these are real people with real emotions.

Kings’ Jae Crowder Claims Monty Williams Rift Led To Suns Trade

On Wednesday, Sacramento Kings forward Jae Crowder sent out a tweet confirming what many people already knew and many others suspected. Asked whether the Suns traded him because Williams didn’t want him on the roster, the seasoned veteran responded with: “(That’s true) and one day I owe (it) to the fans to explain I never wanted to leave and they asked me to stay home while they trade me.”

“(There’s) a reason my teammates never got mad or talked down on me to the media,” he adds.

Crowder, who signed with the Suns in 2020, had a good run in Phoenix. The 3-and-D forward started in 144 of the 162 games he played with the Suns, including all 35 of his postseason appearances. Unfortunately, his Suns tenure had about as bitter of an end as possible.

Not-So-Friendly Fire

It was public knowledge that Crowder had been away from the team since their decision to trade him in the 2022 offseason. However, there wasn’t enough clarity in the initial reports. Instead of revealing the rift between him and Williams, it simply seemed like they were looking to replace Crowder with Cam Johnson.

Then, in January, Crowder was interviewed by former Turner Sports insider Chris Haynes via text message. It was at this point that the Villa Rica native accused the coaching staff of failing to “appreciate” what he brought to the team. “I’m confused and hurt,” he wrote.

Asked about Crowder’s comments, Williams cried foul, alluding to his innocence.

“When people say stuff like that, it’s a direct shot and it’s unfortunate,” he said (h/t Arizona Republic reporter Duane Rankin), “but you have to focus on what you have to everyday. That doesn’t mean you don’t care about guys, but when I saw it, I just kind of shook my head. No need to really even comment. The only comment I have is that I care for everybody that plays for us and has played for us.”

It’s worth wondering whether Williams only saw Crowder’s comments, as New York Knicks forward Mikal Bridges –then with the Suns –told Haynes:

“I know he wants to be here, but it’s the league. That’s just how it is sometimes. This is my fifth year in the league, and I understand how it could be. You’ve got to protect yourself sometimes. We’ll love to have him here, but we get it.”

That’s How You Feel?

Eventually, Crowder was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks. After the deal, he sat down with former Yahoo Sports reporter Jake Fischer to give his side of the story. Though the team’s decision to start Johnson over him was a factor in his fate, he insisted that his poor relationship with Williams was at the heart of it. However, he refused to delve into much detail, saying he wanted to “keep it in-house” and move on from the situation.

Months later, Arizona Sports 98.7 FM radio host John Gambadoro reported that “the Jae Crowder situation was all on Monty” (h/t HoopsHype). “He told people he was too difficult to handle and coach. Monty didn’t want Jae. It wasn’t the Suns organization. He didn’t want Jae around.”

Crowder would respond in a now deleted tweet: “Aww man Coach, really?! That’s how you feel?”

© Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

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