Despite the Phoenix Suns' embarrassing playoff exit in 2022, it seemed like the team that put up the best record in the 2021-22 regular season still had all the makings of a contending team. The Suns' core pieces remained intact as well after they re-signed Deandre Ayton in restricted free agency. However, one of the Suns' major pieces in Jae Crowder, who is also one of the most crucial parts of their turnaround during the 2020-21 season, requested a trade, depleting Phoenix's much-needed depth in the process.

In the process, Crowder and the Suns agreed for the veteran forward to sit out games as Phoenix tried to find a suitable trade. Nonetheless, Cameron Johnson's knee injury in early November seemed to open a pathway back for a potential return for Crowder to the Suns lineup.

But it seems like the rift between the two parties was simply too huge to overcome. Speaking with Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, Jae Crowder revealed that there was simply no way that he was putting on a Suns jersey again, at least for the foreseeable future.

“Nah, there wasn’t a chance I was going to play there. Both sides knew that the road had come to an end. That came to an end way before Cam got hurt. I wasn’t going back on it, and they weren’t going back on it,” Crowder said.

Amid the Suns' midseason struggles, particularly in December, holding on to a disgruntled Jae Crowder could not have been easy. Still, it just speaks to how irreconcilable their differences were that a divorce not only was an inevitable outcome but a necessary one.

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It took the Suns more than four months, but they finally dealt away Crowder to the Milwaukee Bucks at the trade deadline, including him in a four-team trade that ended with Kevin Durant in The Valley.

Jae Crowder has played in just four games for the Bucks, averaging six points and three boards in 19.3 minutes off the bench of the team with the best record in the NBA at the moment. Crowder provides the Bucks with valuable insurance given Khris Middleton's slow ramp-up period from knee troubles.