The Milwaukee Bucks signed Grayson Allen to a two-year contract worth $18.7 million this past offseason. Despite this new contract, the Bucks have called multiple teams regarding a trade involving Allen. Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports wrote: “…Milwaukee has called numerous teams about Grayson Allen’s trade prospects, sources said.” This was an interesting little blurb in an article Fischer wrote about Bojan Bogdanovic and how the Detroit Pistons could try to trade him to the Phoenix Suns in a deal involving Jae Crowder. Fischer states that the Bucks’ interest in Crowder remain well-known throughout the league.
Could the Bucks Trade Grayson Allen for Jae Crowder?
In short, the answer is yes. The Bucks could trade Grayson Allen for Jae Crowder. The real question is, will they? Crowder has refused to play for the Suns this season, so Phoenix is shopping around for the best deal. The problem is that Crowder is in the final year of his contract. Very few, if any, NBA teams would be willing to part with very much draft capital (i.e., a first round pick) for a disgruntled veteran in the last year of his contract.
What makes a Grayson Allen for Jae Crowder trade plausible is the fact that Allen is on an affordable contract for this season and the next. Additionally, just $17 million of Allen’s $18.7 million deal is guaranteed. In other words, the Suns would not necessarily be on the hook for the entire contract amount.
For the Bucks, trading for Jae Crowder would mean taking on more salary than they already have on their books. Crowder is in the final year of a three-year contract and is due to make $10.1 million this year. Of course, that figure will be lowered once he is traded and prorated for the amount of games he plays with any new team. That being said, it would still be a higher figure than what they will pay Grayson Allen this year. The trade off, of course, is that they would free up more money on next season’s payroll.
Should the Bucks Trade Grayson Allen?
The season, of course, is still young, but the Bucks clearly look like one of the better teams in the NBA. At 10-1, they have the league’s best record and have won without Khris Middleton, Pat Connaughton, and Joe Ingles all season long. Grayson Allen is averaging 10.8 points and shooting 42.6% from three. Jae Crowder is a 34% three point shooter for his career. In other words, trading Allen for Crowder would diminish the Bucks’ three point offense. Of course, Ingles, Middleton, and Connaughton could all help make up for it once they return. It really is a matter of if the Bucks believe they have a better chance of winning with Crowder than with Allen (and, of course, if they Suns are even interested in Allen; there is no indication that they are).