Is Cam Reddish the Bucks’ backup plan in their Jae Crowder pursuit?

By now, it’s common knowledge that Jae Crowder is seemingly priority number one via trade for the Milwaukee Bucks ahead of the upcoming deadline.

The Bucks have explored several scenarios to acquire Crowder and appear determined to get him on the roster in the coming weeks. Obviously, the team has failed to get him thus far, and it is far from a guarantee that they will ultimately acquire the Marquette alum. It appears that the team has been plotting a possible backup plan in the event that they cannot pry Crowder away from the Phoenix Suns in the form of Cam Reddish.

On a recent episode of ‘Please Don’t Aggregate This,’ Yahoo Sports insider Jake Fischer reaffirmed the Bucks’ interest in both Crowder and Reddish. However, Fischer stated that the Bucks remain focused on adding a grizzled defensive-minded veteran, which is certainly more so Crowder than the 23-year-old Reddish. If the team fails to acquire Crowder, trading for Reddish seems to be a backup plan to bring in some added wing depth.

Is Cam Reddish the Bucks’ backup plan in their Jae Crowder pursuit?

Among the defensive-minded wings on the trade target, Crowder should be Milwaukee’s top trade target. The veteran would bring versatility, postseason experience, and tough defense. He’d be the perfect fit alongside Milwaukee’s other robust defensive personnel. If the team is unable to land Crowder, turning their attention to Reddish makes some sense, though he would not be a perfect backup plan to address their current needs.

The desirable attribute of Reddish is his stature; he stands at 6-foot-8 with a 7-foot-1 wingspan. The Bucks could use another lengthy wing, given that the only two wings taller than 6-foot-5 who are in their regular rotation are Khris Middleton and Joe Ingles. Reddish would give the Bucks some height when they have to face taller wings. Utilizing his length, Reddish has shown signs of being a strong defender, but he has never been able to put it all together consistently. The Bucks could try to unlock that potential, but it would be riskier than adding a reputable defender like Crowder.

If the Bucks cannot acquire Crowder, Reddish could be a backup plan rather than the backup plan. Fischer noted in the same breath that the Bucks are looking into several other Jae Crowder-esque targets who he could not mention. Those players probably fall more in line with what the Bucks are looking for in terms of defense and experience. Only time will tell, but Reddish seems to be a player the Bucks will continue keeping an eye on. HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto reported that the New York Knicks, Reddish’s current team, have interest in Grayson Allen. If all else fails, perhaps the team could look to get Reddish and other pieces for Allen ahead of the deadline.

For now, Crowder will continue to be Milwaukee’s top target, but if he gets trade elsewhere, things would certainly get interesting in the team’s pursuit of wing talent.

Stay tuned to see if Reddish ends up being a part of Milwaukee’s NBA trade deadline plans.