Milwaukee Bucks veteran forward Jae Crowder is “leaning heavily towards” re-signing in free agency, according to NBA insider Gery Woelfel.
Acquired by the Bucks as part of the four-team trade that brought superstar Kevin Durant to the Phoenix Suns in early February, Crowder only played 22 games for the Bucks after being dealt by the Suns. This includes four games in the 2023 NBA Playoffs, in which he was seldom used by Milwaukee during their First Round loss to the Miami Heat.
To that point, the Bucks traded a rotation player in Jordan Nwora and five second-round picks in their effort to acquire the defensive-minded Crowder, making their refusal to deploy him a head-scratching move. Especially as they faced a white-hot Jimmy Butler, the inaugural Eastern Conference Finals MVP.
The Bucks will have their share of competition, as Woelfl surmises that Crowder “will undoubtedly draw interest from several teams during the free agency period.” Nonetheless, with the Bucks replacing former head coach Mike Budenholzer with Adrian Griffin shortly after the playoffs ended, Crowder could be enticed to return to a team that still has a championship-caliber roster.
Given their need for a starting forward with a defensive lean, playoff contenders such as the Sacramento Kings, Dallas Mavericks, Portland Trail Blazers, and Memphis Grizzlies might appeal to Crowder in free agency, which begins on Jul. 1. Of all of these aforementioned teams, the Kings would stand the best chance of signing Crowder, as they're projected to have a maximum of $35.7 million in cap space.
However, the Bucks will have Crowder's Bird Rights, allowing them to sign the soon-to-be 33-year-old to a contract that appeals to both parties even if it requires them to go over the cap.
Milwaukee is also looking to re-sign Khris Middleton and Brook Lopez.
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