After months of rumors, rumblings, and murmurs, the Milwaukee Bucks have finally landed the player they have been linked to the most frequently.
According to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, the Bucks have acquired Jae Crowder, who was dealt to the Brooklyn Nets in the early hours of Thursday morning, in a deal involving five second round picks. Crowder was involved in a significant trade between the Nets and Phoenix Suns involving Kevin Durant, but that clearly did not stop the Bucks’ front office from continuing their pursuit. Crowder is now officially a Milwaukee Buck.
Instant reaction to the Milwaukee Bucks finally trading for Jae Crowder
As for the deal itself, details are still flooding in. In a follow-up tweet, Charania reported that this is a three-team deal with the Indiana Pacers, who have acquired Bucks’ forward Jordan Nwora and two second round picks. The Bucks had to give up more than Nwora to take back this salary, so it is only a matter of time before more names come out. George Hill and Serge Ibaka are two players who are almost certainly involved in some capacity. Many will argue that the Bucks gave up quite a bit here, as five second round picks is hefty, but for a team that is all-in right now, it is justifiable.
It seemed like this move was bound to happen one way or another. The Bucks had been persistent in trying to get Crowder for what seemed like an eternity, and General Manager Jon Horst was not going to take no for an answer. The Bucks have now added a much-needed defensive wing to their roster who has hard-earned experience and can defend reputable wings. Given that he has not yet played this season, it remains to be seen what kind of condition Crowder is in, but the Bucks would have certainly cleared that up before making this move.
The Marquette alum will head back to Wisconsin to help the Bucks for their stretch run, and it will be interesting to see how they integrate him in when he takes the court.
There are still a few more hours until the 2023 NBA Trade Deadline commences, so stay tuned in case the Milwaukee Bucks are not quite done.