Former Celtics Forward Could Suddenly Retire From NBA

The Boston Celtics had to go through a few iterations of forwards to figure out who worked well with Jayson Tatum. Once he was drafted back in 2018, he was the player that they wanted to build around.

Jae Crowder left the Celtics just before Tatum got to Boston, as they had already determined that he was not going to be a forward that they were going to build around. Boston clearly made the right decision.

Crowder played three seasons in Boston and has played for seven other teams since leaving the Celtics. Now, his time in the NBA might be coming to an end.

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After playing last season for the Sacramento Kings, there doesn't seem to be much of a market for Crowder. He was someone the Celtics used to rely on, playing him heavy minutes during the Isaiah Thomas era.

Crowder played just nine games this past season with the Kings. He continues to get hurt, so he can't actually help teams out on the court. He hasn't played more than 67 games since the 2018-19 season when he was in Utah.

Boston does need some depth at the forward position next season with Jayson Tatum out. Crowder is someone who can hit threes, especially in the corner.

Would it be worth it to bring him back and hope that he can stay healthy enough to be a decent defender? Could the Celtics bring him in on a veteran's minimum contract and give him fringe rotation minutes?

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It doesn't seem very likely. Crowder is 35 years old and hasn't been able to prove that he can help a winning team in any meaningful way. His time in the league might be coming to an end.

Crowder was a very valuable player until he decided to sit out a large amount of the 2022-23 season because he was unhappy in Phoenix. His career has gone downhill ever since he made that decision.

Celtics fans have some fond memories of what Crowder was able to give them back in the day. If he does retire, Boston fans will be happy with what they got from him.

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