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Former Bucks' Crowder to Workout With a Team out West

After a disappointing two-year stint in Milwaukee, veteranJae Crowder could potentially be headed out west to join a team in California.

Cody Smith

Milwaukee Bucks forward Jae Crowder (99) reacts after scoring a basket in the third quarter against the Indiana Pacers during game one of the first round for the 2024 NBA playoffs at Fiserv Forum.
Milwaukee Bucks forward Jae Crowder (99) reacts after scoring a basket in the third quarter against the Indiana Pacers during game one of the first round for the 2024 NBA playoffs at Fiserv Forum. / Benny Sieu-Imagn Images
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MILWAUKEE — Simply put, the Milwaukee Bucks wished the Jae Crowder experiment went differently.

After two seasons with the Bucks, the two sides went their separate ways earlier this offseason, leaving the organization to fill out its roster in free agency by signing Delon Wright, Gary Trent Jr. and Taurean Prince. With the new season now under one month away, Crowder still remains a free agent.

However, that may not last for much longer.

Per Fox40's Sean Cunningham, Crowder will be working out with the Sacramento Kings this week. The 34-year-old veteran will look to show out in on-court competition against Kings' players and walk out with a new deal.

There's reason to believe that Crowder would be a solid fit in Sacramento. Looking at the Kings' roster, Crowder would be the second-oldest player on the team at 34, only trailing 35-year-old DeMar DeRozan. His veteran presence could be of use for a team that's been on the rise over the last handful of seasons and made its first playoff berth in 2022-23 for the first time since 2006.

As it currently stands, the Kings have Trey Lyles and Jalen McDaniels slotted as power forwards, but those two players are from from set-in-stone contributors. Between the both of them, Lyles and McDaniels have 171 career starts compared to Crowder's 434 career starts, which leaves room to believe that if signed, Crowder can immediately compete for playing time.

A fresh start with the Kings could fair well for Crowder after having rarely looked like his old self across his two seasons in Milwaukee. The Bucks parted with five second-round picks to get him in February of 2023 in hopes to get a boost for a deep postseason run, but it never seemed to pan out that way. He averaged just 2 points and 1.3 rebounds over 10.2 minutes per contest across eight playoff games with Milwaukee.

If signed by Sacramento, the expectations surrounding Crowder would be minimal. Rather than carrying a heavy weight of being the missing piece to a championship team, Crowder would join a team on the come up as a veteran 3-and-D player. It's been the role he used to playing and it'll come for a team that doesn't have championship or bust expectations this season, which could be exactly what Crowder needs in order to regain his footing in the NBA.

All in all, this would be an extremely low-risk move to the Kings. If a deal gets done, it shouldn't cost a pretty penny, as it would likely be a cheap training camp deal or a veteran's minimum contract.

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Cody Smith
CODY SMITH

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