Predicting where Milwaukee Bucks' free agents will play in 2024-25

Jae Crowder - Miami Heat

After he failed to play a prominent role in two consecutives playoff runs, it now seems safe to say the Jae Crowder experiment was a swing and a miss for the Bucks. With his role fading into obscurity in the big moments, the two sides will almost certainly head their separate ways this off-season.

For the Bucks, it's time to cut down on the heavy reliance on veterans and implement some youth into the mix, so letting Crowder walk could potentially free minutes for younger, more athletic wings, such as MarJon Beauchamp and Andre Jackson Jr. At 33 years old and battling injuries over the past two years, it's clear that Crowder has lost a step.

For Crowder, he'll likely aim to go somewhere where he believes he can compete at the highest level and play decent minutes. A team that could offer him both is the Miami Heat. Crowder is familiar with the Heat, having played there during the hectic 2019-20 season. Down in the bubble, he did his part in propelling them to the NBA Finals. He's got familiarity with most of that roster and coaching staff.

While the Bucks won the Crowder bidding war at the NBA Trade Deadline in 2023, the Heat were right on their tail, with The Athletic's Shams Charania (subscription required) reporting they were among the teams interested in him during that timeframe. It wouldn't be surprising if the Heat reignited that interest in bringing him back, this time as a free agent.