Milwaukee Bucks Set Timeline for Jae Crowder's Return

Milwaukee Bucks fans will have to wait a little while before seeing their trade deadline acquisition in action. Speaking at his media availability on Monday, coach Mike Budenholzer said Jae Crowder won't appear in the team's next two games and will be reevaluated over the next week.

Jae Crowder won’t play tomorrow or Thursday, according to coach Mike Budenholzer. Said team will evaluate Crowder over next week to 10 days. #Bucks.
— gary washburn (@GwashburnGlobe) February 13, 2023

The Bucks landed Crowder as part of the massive multi-team trade that brought Kevin Durant to the Phoenix Suns. Crowder, who had refused to play for the Suns this season due to frustrations with his role on the team, was sent to the Brooklyn Nets as part of the package exchanged for Durant, and then the Bucks handed over five second-round picks for his services.

Evidently, Crowder will need a little bit of time to either get back into game shape or earn the Bucks' trust. He has yet to play a single game this season, but he was a 67-game starter for the Suns in 2021-22, averaging 9.4 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game with a passable .541 true shooting percentage.

At the peak of his powers, Crowder was a credible role player for winning organizations. He has bounced around the league extensively; the Bucks will mark the eighth team he has played on before his 33rd birthday. His best years arguably came with the Boston Celtics from 2015 to 2017: he averaged 14 points per game over 145 starts with a respectable .452 field goal percentage. Unless his long layoff greatly improved his health, he's unlikely to match that difference-making production with the Bucks.