Jae Crowder is ‘very confused’ about why he was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks

Jae Crowder is ‘very confused’ about why he was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks

Nearly three months ago, hours ahead of the 2022-23 NBA Trade deadline, the Brooklyn Nets traded veteran forward Jae Crowder to the Milwaukee Bucks for not one, not two … but five second-round picks after Crowder was previously dealt to Brooklyn from Phoenix in the Kevin Durant blockbuster.

While he was effective off the bench, Crowder’s role slowly, but surely, diminished — especially as the playoffs arrived. In lieu of getting bounced against Miami, Crowder’s now questioning why he was traded there in the first place.

“I’ve never been in a situation like that,” he said, per the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel‘s Jim Owczarski. Eleven years. Check my résumé. I’ve been playing. I’ve always been playing. I’m very confused as to why I was brought here. I don’t know my purpose here and why I was brought here.”

The top-seeded Bucks surprisingly got blasted in its opening-round matchup against the Heat, who also beat Milwaukee in five games in 2019-20 when Crowder was with Miami. Though the veteran wing only played 41 minutes this series, totaling seven points, four rebounds, three assists and two steals on 3-of-13 shooting. The 32-year-old did not play in Game 4 while only playing 18 seconds in the series-clinching Game 5.

Similarly to his stints with the Suns, Heat, Memphis Grizzlies, Utah Jazz, Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics, Crowder was expected to bring a sizable role as a 3-and-D wing. But he did not. In 18 games, he posted 6.9 points and 3.8 rebounds on 47.9 percent shooting and 43.6 percent from 3-point range.

Crowder didn’t suit up for Phoenix in 2022-23 after the two sides mutually agreed for the forward to not be with the team heading into the season. He was in the final year of a three-year, $29 million deal that he signed in Phoenix before the 2020-21 season, so he will become an unrestricted free agent this summer.

It’s fair to say Crowder will likely not garner a mid-level-type deal (projected $12.2M), but perhaps a team under the second-tax apron would be willing to offer him the full taxpayer midlevel (projected $5M) for wing depth. By now, we can assume he won’t re-sign in Milwaukee, but I don’t think Crowder will be short for suitors on the open market.

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