The Milwaukee Bucks got their man. In exchange for five second-round picks, veteran forward Jae Crowder will be rerouted from the Brooklyn Nets to the Bucks, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania.
This is a three-way trade, in which the Indiana Pacers will receive draft compensation, wing Jordan Nwora, big man Serge Ibaka and guard George Hill from Milwaukee, according to The Athletic. Indiana will also reportedly cut center Goga Bitadze and, according to ESPN.
It is unclear what all of this is going to look like when it’s official. All of it could be folded into the Kevin Durant blockbuster, which would mean that Crowder would never technically become a Net.
Crowder, 32, did not play a single game for the Phoenix Suns this season. He was shelved after the two sides could not agree on a contract extension, and he has been linked to the Bucks in trade rumors the entire time.
The move will give Milwaukee some defensive versatility and toughness in the frontcourt. He will likely be asked to play a similar role to the one that PJ Tucker played in Milwaukee a couple of seasons ago. Due to the timing and the fact he’ll be playing power forward, this is reminiscent of the Bucks’ trade-deadline deal in 2019: four second-round picks for Nikola Mirotic.
Brooklyn’s roster is overflowing with younger, similarly versatile forwards, so this is not a surprise. The picks are worth more to the Nets than Crowder is.
