Last summer, the Milwaukee Bucks signed Jae Crowder to a one-year, $3.2 million deal. Was it a good move? It seemed that way at the time, but a year later, things certainly seem a little more complicated.
Crowder certainly had the potential to be a big-time role player, and he showed it at times. Only a few times, though. Overall, he didn’t deliver what was expected of him and didn’t look like his best self in Miami and Phoenix, becoming one of, if not the most disappointing players of the season.
He averaged 6.2 points and 3.2 rebounds per game, while shooting 34.9 percent from three-point range. As the season went on, he began to lose time on the court. He was even more disappointing in the playoffs, where he was benched for the entirety of Games 5 and 6, ending the season on a hugely negative note that made his season seem even worse than it actually was.
At the time, Behind the Buck Pass writer Dalton Sell gave the case an Aand who could blame him for that? It felt like the Bucks had found a solid defensive player who could make the team more versatile and have a significant role both off the bench or in the starting five if they decided to play small-sided. It didn’t go very well, but it wasn’t a bold move.
So, even though things are different now, let’s not be unfair in our grade judgment.
Let’s first start by recalling how Crowder became a Milwaukee Bucks. The team traded him in February 2023, sending George Hill, Serge Ibaka, Jordan Nwora and three second-round picks to Indiana and two second-round picks to Brooklyn.
It’s not as big a package as it might seem, since none of the players were key and the picks weren’t that great, but it’s still a huge asset. The Bucks have nearly emptied their second-round draft cupboard, making it harder for them to make moves in the 2023-24 season, so they’re betting on Crowder being an impactful member of the roster.
But why does all this matter? Well, it’s necessary to provide context, because after making so many concessions, this deal had to happen in free agency. A team can’t just offer that kind of trade package for a rental. If you trade three players and five second-round picks for a player, you have to re-sign him. No matter how it goes down the line, this move had to happen.
That said, let’s re-evaluate the deal.
