Reactions to the Milwaukee Bucks’ recent interest in Jae Crowder

The Milwaukee Bucks had a relatively quiet offseason outside the signing of Joe Ingles. The team didn’t make any big splash trades or signings other than re-signing a majority of their roster and trying to run it back with almost an identical group to a year ago.

A splash may be coming in-season, however. The Athletic’s Shams Charania (subscription required) reported on Monday that the Bucks are among a few teams interested in acquiring Jae Crowder from the Phoenix Suns. The Atlanta Hawks and Miami Heat are among others interested in Crowder, per Charania.

Reactions to the Milwaukee Bucks’ recent interest in acquiring Jae Crowder

It’s not surprising to see the Bucks brought up in the Jae Crowder sweepstakes, as they’ve been rumored to be a team that might jump in since his trade request before the start of training camp.

Taking on Crowder makes a lot of sense for the Bucks, who probably will be in the market for a player with a similar skillset to Crowder, regardless. The Bucks have needed a ‘3-and-D’ type of player since they could not retain P.J. Tucker following their championship run in 2021.

A player of Crowder’s archetype would’ve been handy for Milwaukee in their 2022 playoff series against the Boston Celtics. After Khris Middleton went down with an injury in their first-round series against Chicago, Milwaukee failed to find an answer offensively and defensively for Middleton’s absence.

Crowder would’ve been especially helpful on the defensive side of the floor against Boston. The Bucks, simply put, did not have the defensive firepower to match up with Boston’s great offensive talent. Not having Middleton likely played a large part in that. Still, it wouldn’t hurt to add Crowder as another well-respected defender to play against teams like Boston, with multiple perimeter-scoring threats.

Crowder’s ability to defend all positions makes him essential to a team. Since Crowder can guard any spot at all levels, it allows the Bucks to get more creative with their lineups. Mike Budenholzer will occasionally use lineups with Giannis Antetokounmpo at the center spot. Crowder would make that lineup much easier to navigate because he could play anywhere on the floor and guard the four if needed.

The only downside, if any, would be that the team would likely need to part ways with Grayson Allen if they were to make a move for Crowder. Being a career 34.6 percent three-point shooter, Crowder would be a downgrade from Allen offensively, who is one of their best perimeter threats. For what he would bring defensively, the Bucks are probably willing to live with Crowder’s shooting not being elite, though still suitable for a player of his role.

Crowder is familiar with Milwaukee, having played his college basketball at Marquette. One thing about the state of Wisconsin is that they love their own, so it’s almost sure that Crowder would be welcomed with open arms and loved by the fans.

Acquiring Crowder would be a brilliant move for the Bucks. Last season’s loss to Boston showed why the Bucks need a player similar to Crowder. If the team makes a move for Crowder or a similar player to him, they could find themselves right back in championship contention this season.

Stay tuned for updates on what the Bucks do throughout the season to improve their roster.