The Jae Crowder to the Milwaukee Bucks trade rumors are getting serious

Shams reports that the veteran power forward is on the wishlist for the Bucks.

Matthew Dugandzic | Dec 15, 2022

In this story:

It seems like the trade rumors surrounding the Milwaukee Bucks and Phoenix Suns have been around for quite a while, but with December 15th coming and teams being able to trade amongst each other, talks have spiked up again, centering around Jae Crowder.

Shaking it up?

You never change a winning team. That, at least, is a saying often heard in sports. But you can never add enough details around the fringes in the making of a great team. It seems like the Milwaukee Bucks have that mindset, as they have been involved in trade talks despite having a 20-7 record and one of the deepest rosters in the NBA.

The trade rumors surrounding Phoenix Suns forward Jae Crowder have been swirling around ever since the 32-year-old power forward decided to sit out until he gets on a new team. Well, it seems that trade talks have ramped up, and the Crowder to Milwaukee narrative seems to be real.

NBA insider Shams Charania reported that the Bucks would be willing to give Grayson Allen or a plethora of players like George Hill, Wesley Matthews, Jordan Nwora, or Serge Ibaka in exchange for Jae Crowder. Also, the Bucks have a good number of Draft picks in the near future they can work with.

Does the fit work?

Getting Grayson Allen or a first-round draft pick would be a great bargain for the Suns, as they would be getting a two-way sharpshooter that is having quite possibly the best season of his young NBA career, averaging 11.1 ppg, 3.6 rpg, and 2.6 apg on 42% from deep.

But it raises the question of if it's worth moving on from Grayson, who has been playing well, in exchange for a player we didn't see on the floor this season. At his best, Crowder is a valuable 3&D stretch four that brings toughness and playoff pedigree to the team. Something similar to what P.J. Tucker provided in the championship run for the Bucks back in 2021.

You could see Crowder coming off the bench and even playing in crunch time when teams go small, as he is able to guard multiple positions and stretch the floor. The biggest argument for going through it could be the soon return of Joe Ingles, who could fill Allen's void even better if the Australian returns to his pre-injury form.

The Bucks definitely have some thinking to do, but this could be a move that ends up putting them past the other contenders in the league.

Published Dec 15, 2022

MATTHEW DUGANDZIC

Matthew finished his bachelor's degree in Economics (Management) at the University of Split and got his master's degree in the same field at the University of Zadar. Whether it is playing the game as an undersized 6'3'' power forward or simply watching it, Matthew can't get enough of it. After all, he has been an avid NBA fan since the 2000s. But don't get him wrong, as Matthew still loves the old-school NBA and is a true student of the game. From on-court moments to off-court stuff, whether it's about the stars of modern-day basketball or legends of the game, Matthew covers every category of the NBA world and basketball in general, as long as it makes for an engaging and exciting story.