The Milwaukee Bucks acquired Jae Crowder ahead of last season’s trade deadline in exchange for five second round picks. The assumption at the time was that Crowder would be a PJ Tucker-like presence on the Bucks, giving them the edge they needed to make another NBA Finals run.
Unfortunately, that is not what happened. The Bucks lost to the Miami Heat in the opening round of the NBA Playoffs, and Crowder did not see the floor very much during the series.
Of course, this did not sit well with Crowder, who was openly frustrated with his role (or lack there of) on the team. At the time of those comments, he was presumed gone, five second round picks wasted. However, the firing of head coach Mike Budenholzer may have changed his mind.
New Reports State Jae Crowder May Re-Sign with the Milwaukee Bucks
Earlier today, NBA insider Marc Stein wrote that the Bucks are all-but-assured to retain both Khris Middleton and Brook Lopez this offseason. That was expected.
What was not expected, though, was what he wrote next:
“Another interesting Milwaukee rumble: The Bucks are increasingly expected to re-sign Jae Crowder after surrendering five (yes, five) second-round picks to acquire him from Phoenix before the February trade deadline.”
Milwaukee, of course, does not have the salary cap space to sign big-time free agents. However, Crowder is at the point in his career where winning a NBA Championship may be his priority. If that is the case, there are few teams that present better odds at winning a title this year than Milwaukee.
In the series loss to Miami, Crowder played 41 total minutes and averaged just 1.8 points. As mentioned, he barely played and was not happy about it.
However, Adrian Griffin is the head coach of the Bucks now, and he almost assuredly will make vastly different lineup decisions than his predecessor. If Milwaukee and Crowder can agree to terms, he would be a valuable bench piece for their roster.
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