NBA Trade Deadline 2023: Jae Crowder Traded in Three-Team Deal

Jae Crowder has been one of the more touted trade pieces this season. He finally got his wish to be traded as he was part of the blockbuster Kevin Durant trade that occurred on NBA Trade Deadline Eve. However, Crowder is not done moving around. The Brooklyn Nets are now trading the 3 and D wing to the Milwaukee Bucks in a three-team deal also involving the Indiana Pacers. While there are many other details to cover on this multi-team deal, Crowder was the main piece of this trade. All in all, Jae Crowder is a solid pickup for the Milwaukee Bucks who are championship contenders yet again this season.

Indiana is acquiring Bucks' Jordan Nwora and two second-rounders in this Nets/Bucks three-way deal, sources said.

Milwaukee acquires its defending, culture piece in Crowder for the stretch run. Crowder's last three NBA seasons: Two NBA Finals runs and a 64-win season. https://t.co/J0PHPCcygW

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 9, 2023

Jae Crowder Traded to Milwaukee Bucks in Multi-Team Deal With Indiana Pacers and Brooklyn Nets 

Jae Crowder’s Fit With the Milwaukee Bucks 

For the Milwaukee Bucks, this is a great move. Crowder is a terrific 3 and D player who will thrive alongside Giannis and Khris Middleton. He goes from a rebuilding situation to a chance at a ring. This happened in the span of only a handful of hours. The only criticism of the Bucks with this deal is that they overpaid just a bit for Crowder considering they gave up five second-round draft picks. While Crowder is a solid rotational piece, one would be hard-pressed to say he is worth that many picks.

However, the Bucks are wanting to secure another title. They were in a situation where they could afford to overpay a bit for a great role player. The Nets can now solely focus on a rebuild and the Pacers gain a couple of draft picks and another rotational player in Jordan Nwora. Hopefully for Nwora, he will have more of an opportunity with the Pacers considering he is only averaging 15.7 minutes played this year. Last season, he logged 19.1 minutes played per game.

The Bucks already boasted one of the better defenses in the league. Giannis has won a Defensive Player of the Year Award. Plus, Jrue Holiday is consistently one of the best perimeter defenders in the NBA. Now, the Bucks have another solid defender in Jae Crowder who can hold his own with the elite wings of the league. This will take some defensive pressure off of Giannis and Middleton which will be crucial in a playoff run. Crowder is a solid veteran who will fit seamlessly with this Bucks squad. He also knows what it takes to win games in the NBA.

Crowder’s Role and His Career 

As Shams noted in his tweet, Crowder has already been a part of two NBA Finals appearances and a 60-plus win season. Throughout his career, Crowder has been a great role player, no matter where he has played. He is averaging a steal per game, a defensive rating of 107, and a defensive win share of 22.8 throughout his career. Crowder has made an impact everywhere he has been in his long career and he will do the same with the Milwaukee Bucks, especially in a playoff run. This deal could be the most underrated of this NBA Trade Deadline. Milwaukee currently has +600 odds to win the NBA Finals per BetOnline.