![]() ![]() Why not offer Jae the same? He’s currently making $10 million this season, and in free agency will be angling for no more than next year’s full mid-level exception which will likely be in the $11 million range. (Pelicans) both signed two-year extensions to pay them $11-12 million per year, which is becoming a fine price for a good rotation player and may soon be considered a bargain. Steven Adams (Grizzlies) and Larry Nance Jr. Over this past weekend, a pair of veterans who now vacillate between starting and coming off the bench signed two-year extensions with their teams. My guess is that the Suns want to keep Crowder on the team and in the rotation, likely only a fraction off the same minutes he played last season (28.1 per game), as long as he’s okay coming off the bench for most of those games. Hence, the holdout and request for trade because he wants to be where he is ‘wanted’. The problem is that Cameron Johnson has developed into a better player and deserves that starting spot over Crowder this season.Ĭrowder apparently approached the Suns this summer about negotiating an extension before hearing he was not even going to be a starter anymore. So while the eye test might say he’s slowing down, the numbers do not. Even his three-point shooting (34.8%) was right on career average. Last year, Crowder averaged almost exactly at his career scoring mark (9.4 points per game), while increasing his rebounding and assists to 5.3 and 1.9, respectively. Tucker got from Philly this offseason), while aging bench players are often scrapping for portions of the mid-level exception.Ĭrowder believes he’s still starter-quality, having started 365 of a possible 497 games (73%) over the last seven seasons, including the last two with the Suns. Even aging, fifth-best starters on the market get full mid-level or above (like 37-year old P.J. If he’s going to be a free agent, he wants to remain a full-time starter until that day arrives. Jae wants to leave the Suns because he’s facing the prospect of losing a lot of money next summer by coming off the bench this year behind Cameron Johnson. But he’s really only sitting out because of money. We all know by now that Jae is sitting out indefinitely while the Suns look for a trade partner. Pay them now, and work out the future roster in the future. Because the new TV money coming in two years will drive up the salary cap (and make it easier to keep all your guys on ‘legacy’ contracts) and salaries are only rising. My suggestion, especially since it’s not my money, is to extend Crowder and Johnson now. You’re not winning anything significant that way. You’re going to replace them with low-salary replacements? The cheap version of Crowder and Cam are Josh Okogie and Damion Lee. Cam Johnson is a homegrown success story, and Jae Crowder is a glue guy that helps you win games. Any contracts beyond that for the other 7-8 players will cost the Suns new owner double or triple their salaries in luxury tax payments.īut what’s the alternative? All four in the Suns top tier deserve their salaries, and the Suns would almost certainly get worse if any of those guys are replaced with a low-salary option. Adding $30 million in Cam Johnson and Jae Crowder extensions to the top four puts them into the luxury tax with only six guys. Something major is going to change on the Suns roster next summer.unless a new multi-billionaire owner spends like the Warriors or Clippers. The Suns, however, will be significantly over the luxury tax next summer (unless they outright release top-tier Chris Paul, that is) so their only vehicles to replace Johnson and Crowder will be much smaller salary slots: the $6 million taxpayer-midlevel, one of the lowest picks in the first round of the NBA Draft, and the $4 million bi-annual exception. If Johnson (restricted free agent) and Crowder (unrestricted) leave in free agency, the Suns have almost no options to replace them effectively.Ĭameron Johnson might get a new contract well north of $20 million per year, while Crowder will likely get something right around the non-taxpayer-midlevel of $10-11 million per year. The problem for the Suns is that both players in the second tier become free agents next summer and could both very easily leave for the highest bidder. All the rest: Cameron Payne, Dario Saric, Landry Shamet, Torrey Craig and the minimums. ![]() Second tier: Cameron Johnson and Jae Crowder.Top tier: Chris Paul, Devin Booker, Deandre Ayton, Mikal Bridges. ![]() Lost among most of the Phoenix Suns issues to start this season, yet highlighted by the bad outing of the all-bench unit against the NBL’s Adelaide 36ers on Sunday night, it’s clear that there are three tiers of players on the Suns roster.Īfter the top four players, there is a small middle tier and then a glom of all the rest. ![]()
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