The Jae Crowder trade was supposed to be the piece that firmly put this team in the championship contender tier. Instead, it turned into a complete disaster. He barely played in the series versus the Miami Heat and when he did, he was a non-factor. While everyone is pointing towards the things in the series that was a disaster, the Jae Crowder trade was the original disaster.
The Bucks traded five second round picks for Jae Crowder, who played only three games and 40 total minutes all series. What a whiff.
— Kevin O'Connor (@KevinOConnorNBA) April 27, 2023
The Jae Crowder Trade Was A Disaster For The Milwaukee Bucks
The Bucks gave up five second-round picks plus players in the three-team deal to land Crowder. While the players were inconsequential, that is a steep price to pay for someone who can’t make your rotation in the playoffs. Second-round picks often don’t amount to much in the NBA but it still was capital that the Bucks could’ve used differently whether at the time or in the future. Midseason trades are supposed to make a huge difference for the team and this one did absolutely nothing.
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Can This Team Retool The Roster?
Brook Lopez is a free agent and Khris Middleton might opt out of his player option to become one. If the team brings back both of those players, it is going to be hard to fill around the edges. The new CBA makes it more difficult for the rich to get richer. Ultimately, the Bucks may need to rely on some of their younger talents, like MarJon Beauchamp, to show some rapid improvement. They might be able to convince an aging veteran to take a pay cut to chase a ring or they could swing for the fences and trade one of their big pieces. Whatever the case, it will be hard to have a drastically different roster next season.
The Milwaukee Bucks will need to do something for next season. Even if that is changing the coaching staff, running it back with everything the same seems like a poor choice. Ultimately, any team that has Giannis Antetokounmpo will be in the mix and that is what Bucks fans need to hang their hat on today.
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