LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne have officially signed NBA veteran Jae Crowder on a one-year contract for the 2026-27 EuroLeague season, the French club announced on Thursday. The 36-year-old forward will make his first appearance in European basketball under head coach Tony Parker.
Crowder, who was selected 34th overall in the 2012 NBA Draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers and immediately traded to the Dallas Mavericks, brings over 900 career NBA appearances to Villeurbanne. The Georgia native enjoyed a 13-season NBA career spanning nine teams, including the Boston Celtics, Utah Jazz, Miami Heat, Phoenix Suns, Milwaukee Bucks and Sacramento Kings.
The 1.98-metre forward is best known for his defensive intensity and winning mentality, having reached back-to-back NBA Finals with the Heat in 2020 and the Suns in 2021. His best scoring season came with the Celtics in 2015-16, when he averaged 14.2 points per game, while his strongest rebounding campaign was with the Memphis Grizzlies in 2019-20 at 6.2 boards per night.
Crowder arrives in France following a stint with the Vaqueros de Bayamon in Puerto Rico's Baloncesto Superior Nacional, where he averaged 14.5 points, 5.7 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.4 steals across 28 games between March and July 2026. His last NBA action came during the 2024-25 season with the Sacramento Kings, where he appeared in nine games.
He will wear the number 99 shirt at ASVEL and joins a roster that includes fellow NBA veteran Patty Mills, along with Joel Bolomboy, Myles Cale, Yves Pons and Nate Sestina. The signing represents the first major acquisition under Parker's coaching tenure, with the four-time NBA champion looking to reshape the Villeurbanne squad after a difficult 2025-26 EuroLeague campaign.
ASVEL said in their announcement that Crowder's "experience, personality, defensive activity and winning mentality" were key factors in the move, making him one of the most experienced NBA players to cross the Atlantic this off-season.
Sources
- https://www.eurohoops.net/en/euroleague/2000218/jae-crowder-to-asvel-euroleague/
- https://basketnews.com/news-254074-asvel-bring-in-experienced-nba-veteran-jae-crowder.html
