Regrading Jae Crowder's once-solid 2023 deal with the Milwaukee Bucks

The new verdict on Jae Crowder’s deal with the Bucks

With all of that said, it's no surprise this deal is far from getting the A it was first given. Even if it, as said, had to be done, it turned out close to being the worst-case scenario and didn't provide the boost the team needed off the bench.

The Bucks seem to think that, too. They showed their disappointment by moving away from him this summer, not even trying to re-sign him and getting Taurean Prince as a replacement, who should bring the 3-and-D production that Crowder was supposed to provide.

In fact, this turned out to be a bad deal for Crowder, too. He signed a short and cheap contract last summer, presumably expecting to have a breakout season and get to free agency in a much better spot. Yet, the opposite happened. He hasn't found a team yet, and he might even struggle to get a minimum contract again. A few years ago, most contenders had him as a strong trade target.

Would things have been different if the injury didn't happen? We'll never know. It didn't seem that big of a problem, and since it happened early in the season, it's fair to assume that Crowder didn't rush his return, so it shouldn't have had a huge impact on his game. On the other hand, the difference was so noticeable that it's hard to dismiss.

What could have been doesn't matter, though. We can only judge Jae Crowder's actual season, and it just wasn't very good.

BTBP Grade: D

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